


Reasons not to make out in an elevator

by LilyRosePotter, speakingwosound (sev313)



Series: Playing For Keeps [2]
Category: Crooked Media RPF
Genre: Canon Compliant, Coming Out, Multi, Tour Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-31 04:53:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17842835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyRosePotter/pseuds/LilyRosePotter, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sev313/pseuds/speakingwosound
Summary: “My mother called me and she said, ‘good news, we’re going to be in New Orleans when you’re there.’ That’s where we’re going to meet you. Yep. I was like ‘oh, great, that’s the perfect place. That’s perfect.”





	Reasons not to make out in an elevator

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the [pod discussion](https://youtu.be/Hi5CjyAx-yU?t=14) of Lovett's [parents' ](https://twitter.com/jonlovett/status/1075405195960446976/photo/1)travel plans

“My mother called me and she said, ‘good news, we’re going to be in New Orleans when you’re there.’ That’s where we’re going to meet you. Yep. I was like ‘oh, great, that’s the perfect place. That’s perfect.”

“I am _so excited_ for Fran and Robert to show up in New Orleans.”

“Fran and Robert and one of those big ass beers they have on Bourbon Street.”

Dan slides his headphones down his neck and immediately starts to worry. Fran and Robert Lovett. In New Orleans. Which will be fine. If Dan makes sure that it’s fine.

While Jon and Tommy joke about giant beers on Bourbon Street and mardi gras beads, Dan quietly googles nice restaurants. Parent appropriate restaurants. _Lovett’s parents_ appropriate restaurants. He finds a good list, reads all the reviews, makes a reservation, even manages to stuff Lovett into a button down.

After a long walk from the hotel full of Tommy and Jon trying to impress the Lovetts while their son rolls his eyes - Tommy leaning into his more interventionist foreign policy positions, Jon talking lamely about his parents’ golf club in Thousand Oaks - they reach the restaurant and Fran immediately turns with a frown.

“We’re eating _here_?”

“Yes?” Dan frowns. “Zagat gave them five stars.”

Fran’s eyes narrow. “Don’t you want to listen to some jazz? Experience some culture? Drink an old fashioned out of a cacti cup?”

“The food _is_ culture, Mom,” Lovett sighs, already looking exhausted. They’ve been with his parents for less than an hour and Lovett already has the deep lines under his eyes that he always has when he returns from visiting them. Dan aches to reach out and smooth them, but shoves his hands in his pockets against the urge to touch, too much in public, too much when they aren’t out to anyone.

"Not this kinda food," Fran complains. "Take us to some local places, we're not that old and fuddy-duddy."

Jon stammers, “we don’t think-,” looking stricken and caught out.

"Yes we do," Lovett interrupts, frowning at his parents suspiciously. "You know the, ahh, kinds of people who eat in those places, right?" Tommy stomps on his foot, not at all subtle.

Fran frowns at him. “We _are_ in New Orleans.”

"Okay, okay." Lovett holds up his hands and looks apologetically at Dan and Tommy. "I just thought- I don't know, I thought you wouldn't want to be surrounded by all of-" Dan watches him trip over _us_ to land on, weakly, "that."

“Let’s go,” Fran insists. “Do you know where there are good places?”

Tommy looks at Lovett nervously, then offers, "yeah, I know a couple."

Lovett tenses a little and nods at him. “Fine, fine, let’s go.”

Tommy leads them into the heart of Bourbon Street, stopping in front of a small place with a live band and an eclectic clientele. Fran and Robert badly pretend not to be looking around, wide-eyed, at the men standing outside, dressed in kilts and leather shorts, their fingers covered in glitter as they pass a vape back and forth.

Lovett’s shaking a little with nerves and, before he can stop himself, Dan places a reckless hand on his lower back. Lovett leans into it, and keeps leaning into it as they duck into the low entrance.

Jon is talking a little too fast, trying a little too hard to be charming, as they squeeze into a much too small booth. He happily presses in between Tommy and Dan, forgetting to look uncomfortable about it, judging by Lovett’s frown as he fidgets next to his mom in the corner.

They order drinks and appetizers and sit in awkward silence. Lovett’s eyes keep darting to Jon’s arm, resting against Tommy’s on the table. Dan is grateful he can’t see how close Dan and Jon’s thighs are underneath it.

Fran and Robert don’t seem to notice, at any rate, focused as they are on the other patrons. Robert’s eyes flick between the scantily-clad barmaid and the waiters, dressed in tight, shamrock onesies. Fran flushes deep as a guy walks by in a speedo, with a man on one arm and a woman on the other.

"Best of both worlds," she offers, a little stilted.

Lovett chokes on his drink.

Dan hits his back, using the opportunity to run a comforting thumb over his shoulder blades.

Jon bites his lip, leaning forward. “How’s your drink Mrs. Lo-” she glares at him and he course corrects, “Fran?”

She smiles, relieved. "A little sweet, but, good,” before expertly steering them into a conversation about their next tour.

Dan answers a few questions, lets Jon handle most of them so he can focus on the way Lovett is visibly struggling to breathe. He keeps his hand on Lovett’s back, low, out of sight of his parents or the other patrons or Tommy’s nervous eyes.

He only moves it when the waiter arrives, dropping a tray of food and drink refills between them. Robert’s eyes widen at the way the man’s onesie gapes around his nipples as he leans forward to ask, “pepper, anyone?”

“Sure,” Jon offers, way too quickly. Dan pinches his thigh under the table.

Tommy snorts into his straw.

Lovett desperately asks, “so, dad, how’s the box business these days?,” which really shouldn’t work as a conversational transition, but, Robert clings as desperately to the rope as Lovett does.

The rest of the meal clunks along like that. Robert’s stilted questions in between trombone warbles and Tommy’s careful answers above the nervous clink of Lovett’s fork against his plate. It lasts until their waiter clears their table, then Robert throws down a few bills and stands at the edge of the booth.

“It’s been a long day,” he says as he stretches.

Tommy starts, guilelessly. “We could- ah!” as Jon steps on his foot.

Dan ignores the slight _oof_ as Tommy elbows Jon in return to say, easily, “we're ready to head back to the hotel, too."

Lovett looks at him, gratefully, and pushes his mom out of the booth and walks away from the table before anyone can protest.

The walk back to the hotel is too quiet, a little tense. Lovett’s walking closer than Dan expects him to be, expects him to be holding himself stiffly apart like he has been since they met his parents in the hotel lobby. Instead, he stays close enough that Dan can accidentally brush his side as they walk, unable to stop himself from touching.

Lovett pulls away, though, as they enter the lobby. “We’re going to have one more drink at the bar, then bed,” he laughs a little stiltedly as he hugs his mom. “Thank you for dinner. ‘Night.”

Tommy turns on them the second the elevator doors close. “Please tell me we're going out."

Jon rolls his eyes. “Of course we are.”

Lovett frowns performatively, winking at Jon. “Bed sounds nice though.”

"You know what sounds nicer?" Dan laughs.

"Whiskey and dancing?" Tommy offers hopefully.

Lovett laughs and finally lets himself lean into Dan’s side. "As long as it's close dancing," Lovett murmurs into his shoulder. "I'm in."

“Thank God, can we go now?” Tommy sighs.

"Please," Lovett whines. "I haven't touched any of you all day."

Dan slides his arm down Lovett’s back, thrilling at the way Lovett arches into his touch.

Jon sighs, rolling his eyes as he gestures towards the door.

Jon doesn't complain, though, when the moment they step out of the hotel Tommy slides a hand into his back pocket and Dan wraps his free arm around his shoulders.

Lovett leans into Dan’s other side until it’s impractical to walk four abreast down the crowded street. Then he pulls Tommy with him to the front, kisses his neck and asks, "did you have a plan?"

Tommy laughs, “don’t I always?” and steers them down the street.

He chooses a bar with good music and better drinks and a clientele that won't blink half an eye at the four of them dancing too close and kissing too often. And a bartender who grins knowingly as Lovett slides half into Tommy’s lap before they even order. Tommy pulls him closer, ordering a round of shots before turning to kiss Jon, wet and performative. Dan laughs, leaning in to add a round of drinks with pink umbrellas in them, winking at the bartender over Tommy’s head.

Jon rests his chin on Tommys shoulder and smiles at Dan while they wait. Dan grins back, running his hand down Jon's back and pressing his lips to the top of Lovett's head.

"So,” Dan asks, quietly, under the trumpet solo. "How much do your parents hate us after this evening?"

Lovett sighs and leans into Tommy’s chest. “God fucking knows.”

Jon touches his shoulder. “I’m sure they don’t.”

"If Dan hadn't started that conversation about banking regulation-" Lovett glares. Dan shrugs and tugs Lovett into a kiss. He’d started the banking thing to get Lovett to stop looking quite so dead inside and it had worked. For a little while, at least.

The kiss works now, too. Lovett sighs and folds into him for a long minute. He finally pulls back a little to say, “I don’t know, they’re suspiciously quiet.”

"You don't think they suspect, do you?" Jon asks, frowning.

Lovett shakes his head. “They can’t. Could they? No, I didn’t even suspect and I’m- No, no, they can’t.”

"So it's just-" Tommy frowns, stops, then forces himself to continue- "The very idea of a relationship like ours that turns them off?"

Jon tightens his arms around Tommy’s shoulders with a hurt noise.

Dan frowns, “Maybe it’s just- they don’t understand?” The idea of- he hasn’t told his parents yet either and the thought of how wrong it could go sends chills down his spine. Dan can’t imagine loving anyone but these three, can’t imagine not loving them all so much it feels like it’s consuming him. It’s like cold water to the face to remember just how out of the ordinary that love is.

"Oh they definitely don't understand." Lovett tries to shrug casually, but he looks stricken.

Tommy reaches for his shot and slams it back. “We can worry about them later, we came to dance.”

Dan nods in agreement and reaches for his frilly drink with one hand and pulls at Jon with the other, tugging him out onto the dance floor.

Jon frowns for a second but follows and presses against him, pulling Lovett close when he and Tommy follow. They hold their drinks just out of the way as they dance, not super coordinated but very close, knees and elbows bumping, drinks spilling.

Dan’s not sure how much time passes in grinding and sloppy kisses and more drinks and more grinding. Jon’s back fits against his chest, his ass so close to Dan’s hips, then Lovett’s tugging him close. Trading off kisses and hands and beats.

“I feel like I need to take my shirt off to fit in,” Jon says, too loud over the music, his eyes tracking a muscled chest across the floor.

Dan shakes his head even as he slides his hand under Jon’s shirt, feeling his skin prickle with goosebumps.

Lovett chokes on his drink and says, “ _yes_ ,” tugging Jon down into the messiest kiss.

When Lovett pulls away, Dan lifts the hands under Jon's shirt and lifts it over his head.

Tommy visibly swallows and runs his hands down Jon’s spine. Jon shivers and presses close, kissing Tommy’s lips, shiny with gin and lime. Tommy groans into his mouth while Lovett presses against his stomach.

Dan's hands are on them all, running up Jon's sides and into Tommy's hair and onto Lovett's hip, feeling like he can’t get enough of them. Feeling like he’s drowning.

“Hey,” Jon shouts over the din, pointing at his cups, “I’m gonna-,” and points to the bar. Dan nods, watching him go, and still watching when, on the way back, a guy presses himself against Jon’s back.

Dan frowns and pushes through the crowd on the dance floor to put a possessive kiss on Jon's mouth, glaring at the guy.

Jon giggles a little and leans into Dan. “I’m all yours.”

Dan glowers, keeping a hand spread wide on Jon's hip as he leads him back to their spot on the dance floor. Jon’s still giggling, leaning into him as he passes out their drinks. He’s already spilled half of them, his chest sticky with pink frozen ice and vodka.

Lovett frowns up at them as he takes his drink. “What happened?”

"People think I'm hot," Jon shrugs, flushing a little. Dan glares around, daring anyone to touch. Jon is such a fucking _flirt_ and he doesn’t even mean to be, it makes the most primeval, possessive part of Dan’s brain growl.

Lovett pats his chest, “you are hot,” leans in for a kiss, “you’re also ours.”

Jon laughs, "Dan made that point," and hands out their drinks.

“Dan is smart,” Tommy agrees. Dan hums contentedly as Jon leans into Tommy’s chest, bending his knees to rub against Tommy, sort of on the beat of the music. Tommy slides his hand down Jon’s side to tighten on his hip.

Dan grins at them, sliding his hand under Lovett’ shirt and flattening his palm on Lovett's stomach. When Lovett presses back into him, solid and close and sweaty, Dan smirks, catching the dude from the bar's eyes and leaning over their heads to kiss Tommy.

“I’ll get the next round,” Dan offers when his cup is drained. “We shouldn’t send Jon to bars alone.”

Lovett laughs and wraps his arms around Jon. Dan has to tear himself away from watching Jon’s rippling, sweaty skin as he leans into Lovett’s mouth, Tommy leaning against his back, reaching to hold Lovett’s shoulder.

Eventually the heat of their bodies and the dance floor, the press of Tommy’s erection against Dan’s thigh and the short puffs of Lovett’s breath, gets to be enough that their private room, with far less clothing between them, sounds appealing again. Dan drops his voice and asks, "Sex in the same hotel as your parents is okay, right?"

Lovett groans. “It better be. They’re on a different floor.”

“Thank God." Dan slides a hand under Tommy's shirt and into the back of his jeans. "Cause I wasn't going to be able to keep my hands to myself, no matter what the answer was."

Lovett sighs a little and leans into Jon’s chest. “Me neither.”

Tommy groans, leaning into Dan’s touch. "I wanna- fuck, I don't know, I wanna keep showing you off, but I also want-"

Jon sighs. “Can we-?” leans in to kiss Lovetts neck, “I wanna go back.”

Lovett nods. "Me too." He looks up at Dan. "Please."

Dan chuckles. “Like I’m gonna say no to that.

Jon downs his drink in a gulp then grabs Lovett's hand and pulls him off the dance floor. Lovett giggles and lets himself be dragged.

Dan watches them go, then pulls Tommy into a long, barely appropriate kiss before following. Tommy groans as he pulls away and grabs Dan’s ass, his hand lingering.

Dan shakes a little, letting Tommy pull his waistband down just enough to see a slip of skin. Tommy rubs his hand along it, his fingers leaving a trail of fire along Dan’s hip, and then pushes Dan forward. “Come on.”

Dan reaches for his hand and tugs him out onto the street, where Lovett has his arms around Jon's bare torso to keep him warm.

Jon frowns a little at them. “I lost my shirt.”

Lovett giggles, swaying a bit on his feet. His fingers spread, pale and covered in neon pink afterglow, across Jon’s chest. "I know."

Tommy leans forward to squeeze Jon’s shoulder. "You don't need it, come on."

Jon glowers and looks down at himself, startling, a little, as if just, finally, seeing what he looks like. “How’d I get glitter?”

Lovett taps his chest, his thumbs brushing against Jon’s nipples. “You were fitting in,” he smirks.

Dan shakes his head, his eyes tracing Jon’s abs. "You have _no idea_ the effect you have on people."

Jon flushes. “I-” He trails off, leaning into Tommy, before veering into, “it’s cold.”

Dan shoves the rest of his drink into Jon's hands. "Here, this'll help."

Jon frowns at it. His lips are wet and puffy as they twist. “We’re outside.”

“Drink it quickly then,” Tommy laughs.

"It's New Orleans," Lovett shugs. "When in Nola, etcetera, etcetera."

Jon laughs and downs it. “Or we could just go back to the hotel.”

"We're trying," Dan rolls his eyes "but you keep bitching"

Jon sighs and gestures ahead, “please, lead the way.”

Dan shakes his head, but pulls him close as they walk, kissing his neck. Jon leans into him contentedly, letting Dan steer. Behind them, Tommy slides his hand into Lovett’s belt loop, holding him just as close. Dan can feel them behind him.

“Thanks,” Lovett murmurs softly, his voice carrying through the noisy streets.

“What for?” Tommy asks, just as soft.

“For dealing with my parents in Nola.”

Tommy laughs, "It was kinda fun, actually. We definitely scarred your dad a few times."

Lovett giggles. “He does _not_ want to be here.”

"No," Dan agrees, turning his head. "What did he think New Orleans was gonna be like?"

Lovett shrugs. “My mom probably made him come. Told him there was culture and he thought she meant the Met.”

"That was a bad idea," Jon says, looking down at his glittery chest. “This is not the Met.”

Dan laughs, dropping his hand further around Jon’s shoulders so he can run a fingernail over Jon’s nipple. Jon shivers under him.

Lovett shrugs. “Wasn’t mine. I tried to talk her out of it.”

"I don't know," Tommy shrugs. "Your mom seemed mostly fine with it.”

Lovett snorts.

“Maybe,” Tommy continues, ignoring him, “we should just tell them."

Lovett stops in his tracks. “Are you serious?” He asks, his voice cracking.

Jon trips a bit as Dan stops him, turning them both.

Tommy shrugs, his shoulders tight around Lovett’s. "I don't know. I think- maybe? I'm not going anywhere and, they should know. Unless-?"

Lovett’s eyes go wide and he shakes his head, his curls wet and sticky on his forehead. “No unless. Just-“

"Whatever they say, we'd be here for you," Tommy promises, gently. Dan’s seen him like this before, all the quiet calm of a king cobra and just as lethal.

“What he said,” Jon agrees, turning his head. “But I think your mom might be okay?”

Lovett blinks, his eyes widening and darkening as he looks at each of them in turn. "I honestly haven't thought about it. I didn't think you'd be interested.”

Dan turns to face him to roll his eyes. “We love you, of course we’re interested.”

"Telling my - our? - parents is a huge step," Lovett protests, but he's leaning close into Tommy's side.

“Our,” Jon agrees. “My parents will be confused but get on board. I think Tommy’s mom will too.”

Dan grins. "My parents have been dropping hints about me moving to LA for months. They claim it’s because of Crooked, but, I think they already guess that something’s up."

Lovett sighs. “Okay okay.” He leans into Tommy’s shoulder and gestures them forward. “We should talk about this, y’know, sober.”

Tommy laughs and presses him forward. “That’s a splendid idea. Best I’ve heard all night. For now, less clothes, less talk?”

Lovett laughs, but lets himself be pushed and, as they pile into the elevator, lets himself be pulled into a long, hope-there-are-no-cameras-around kind of kiss. When Tommy pulls back, his lips wet and swollen, Jon steps forward, his bare chest leaving lines of glitter down Lovett’s shirt.

“Fuck,” Dan murmurs, watching them as Tommy tugs at him. Dan falls forward, a mess of elbows and knees, letting Tommy catch him with his hands and his mouth. He feels a hand at his waist - Lovett’s, he thinks, judging by the size and the callouses - and he groans into Tommy’s mouth, leaning into both of them as the elevator door bings open on their floor.

Dan lifts his arms over his head, walking backwards as he lets Lovett pull at his hem. The shirt twists around Dan’s chest and Lovett giggles, pushing at it with weak hands, until he’s not.

Dan freezes, the air around him going cold and still as Lovett freezes. His eyes glaze over, the murkiest shade of brown as a wall shudders around them. Next to him, Jon and Tommy are just as still, Tommy’s hand still where it’s half in the back of Jon’s jeans and the only motion between them the quivering of Jon’s stomach muscles.

Dan turns around, slowly, pulling his shirt to tangle around his hips, again.

Fuck.

 _Fuck_.

“Ice.” Fran says, nonsensically, until Dan follows the tight slope of her shoulders to the bucket held tightly in front of her.

“Um.” Lovett flails his hands, so close that his nails scrape against Dan’s skin. “Mom, ahh, hi. Fancy seeing- We were just- Ahh-”

Fran raises her eyebrow, slowly. It’s a look Dan’s seen on Lovett’s face too many times to count. “Do you want to take this into your room?”

“Ah-” Jon starts, flushing all the way down to his belt buckle. “Our room’s, ahh-”

“Going to have to do,” Tommy interrupts, quickly.

She nods, turning on her heel and beating them there. Tommy fishes their room key out of his pocket and slides it into the lock. As the door swings open, there’s just enough time for Dan to remember how the room looks - four suitcases spilling onto the floor after their quick shower this afternoon, four toothbrushes on the bathroom counter, four tablets strewn across the bedside table - before they’re inside and confronted with it.

Fran looks around, slowly, until Lovett shoves Jon’s suitcase off the desk chair and pushes it, mutely, towards her. She shakes her head, but then falls into it. Her knees are shaking.

“I-” She starts, then stops.

Jon reaches down to pull a shirt off the ground. It’s one of Dan’s _Trust the Process_ ones, but the glitter on his chest is shining off the bright, artificial hotel lights and Jon pulls it over his head as fast as he can.

Fran slides forward in the chair, the ice bucket still held gingerly to her chest.

“So, ahh.” Lovett twists his hands together nervously. Tommy flicks his eyes towards Fran, then squeezes Lovett’s shoulder. Lovett slides his hand up to twist their fingers together. “This really wasn’t how I wanted you to find out.”

Fran hums a little and her eyes track the four sets of belongings strewn across the room. “What exactly am I finding out?”

Jon makes a pained noise and Dan sits, hard, on the edge of the nearest bed. He reaches out, tugging Jon down next to him.

“We’re, um-” Lovett’s lips twitch as he tries to joke. “You can stop worrying that I’ll die a lonely dog guy with a dozen goldendoodles.”

She shakes her head. She doesn’t laugh. “I was never worried about that.”

“Really?” Lovett frowns. “Because I was very worried about that.”

“You’ve always been a worrier,” she sighs. She smiles, softly, first down at the ice bucket, then at Jon, then at Tommy. Dan steels himself, his shoulders straightening, but her gaze doesn’t linger. “You’ve always found good people, ever since college.”

“Yeah, but not-” Lovett starts quickly, then stops. He swallows. “Did you think I was with Jon and Tommy all this time?”

She shrugs. “Not ‘and’ and I was never sure, but, I hoped.”

Jon straightens next to Dan.

“Well,” Lovett says, slowly, “we weren’t. Not, ahh, until recently.”

She nods a little, finally, finally, looking at Dan. Her eyes are soft and kind as she asks, “all four of you?”

Lovett squeezes Tommy’s fingers and looks at Jon and Dan. He looks terrified.

He nods.

Fran smiles. “I can’t say this is what I expected, but … you’re happy?”

“Ecstatically,” Lovett says, much more quickly, then flushes all the way up his ears.

Fran’s smile slips, just a little, into nerves and she squeezes the bucket as she stands. “Well, I was just getting ice, so, I’ll leave you to… it. We’ll talk more in the morning?”

Lovett nods, letting her get halfway to the door before taking a step forward. “Mom? Are you … okay?”

She turns, her smile real. She reaches out to squeeze his forearm. “Of course I am.”

His lip wobbles and his eyes are glassy as he falls forward, into her arms.

“I love you,” she promises, patting his shoulder. “But you smell like a distillery.”

He laughs, wetly, into her neck. “When in Nola.”

She laughs and pushes him way. “Tomorrow.”

The door opens and shuts.

Lovett doesn’t move from his spot in the middle of the floor.

The silence in the room is deafening, all four of them still as the dead. Jon finally pushes himself off the bed, stumbles towards Lovett, takes his hand.

“Hey,” Jon murmurs, gentle like Lovett might bolt.

Dan only realizes he’s holding his breath as Lovett turns to face Jon, instead of running. He blinks, like he’s waking up from a deep sleep. “She's okay."

Jon grins. “She loves you.”

"She does." Lovett shakes his head. "She thought I've been sleeping with you for almost a decade."

Jon laughs a little, “I fucking wish,” and tugs him in for a kiss. Dan’s heart aches with how much he wishes. They’ve wasted so much time.

Lovett laughs giddily and pushes Jon down onto the bed. "A decade, huh?"

Jon kisses him, “yeah.”

Dan twists to slide closer to them. Tommy sits down on the bed slowly, immediately setting his hands on Lovett’s hips.

“My mom knows," Lovett says in wonder, then turns to kiss Tommy. "Sorry, no more mom talk but-"

Tommy laughs a little into his mouth. “But she knows and it’s okay.”

"Yeah," Lovett grins. "Mother-approved sex."

Dan frowns at him. "I try not to think about my sex as approved by my in-laws."

Jon shivers a little, turning to kiss Dan. “In-laws,” he repeats in the tone that usually means Dan’s going to like what’s coming next, in the tone that preceded changing chocolate-stained sheets in Jon’s house last month, in the tone that sent them tipping over the edge in a seedy motel in Nebraska.

“Or it could be a turn on for you, that’s fine,” Dan says weakly. He slides his hands under Jon’s shirt, _his_ shirt, tugging it back up to reveal Jon’s shining skin.

Tommy runs his hands up Dan's chest, leaning down to kiss his neck. "Definitely a turn on."

Lovett laughs, a little manic. “Oh god.”

Jon shivers again and reaches for the button on Lovett's jeans. “Too many clothes.”

“Feeling self-conscious babe?” Lovett pats Jon’s chest before squirming out of his jeans and going for Tommy’s shirt.

Tommy laughs and pulls it over his head. He kicks his pants off at the same time, irritatingly efficient as usual.

Dan grins and reaches over to palm his nipples until Tommy cries out. He falls into Dan’s hands as he gets caught in the edges of his pants before kicking them off the bed.

Lovett grins at them and goes for Jon’s jeans as Tommy turns his attention to stripping Dan of his own clothes.

Before long they’re naked and tangled together, moving in a bunch of knees and hands and tongues like they had been on the dance floor. Dan feel his blood rushing with alcohol and the adrenaline of being caught out by Fran and the heat of his boys pressed against him.

Dan slides his hand down Jon’s spine as Jon’s hand lands on Tommy’s dick. Tommy groans and Jon makes a satisfied noise that earns him a kiss from Lovett.

Lovett slides his hand between Jon’s body and his own and must do something good because Jon whimpers into Lovett’s mouth as he presses back into Dan.

Dan grins and cups Jon’s ass, pushing his hips forward with intent.

Jon looks over his shoulder. "Fuck, yeah, lube?"

Tommy groans, “That’s a- it’s in the suitcase.”

Dan slaps Jon's ass fondly and forces himself to his feet. He crosses to Tommy’s suitcase, the four steps feeling unbearably far away, and digs through the mesh compartment until he finds the bottle.

When he looks up, Lovett has spread his knees so Jon can settle between them, their dicks wet and hard as he rocks them together.

Jon groans, “Dan, _hurry_!”

Dan trips on the suitcase as he stumbles back to the bed, tossing the lube to Tommy. Tommy catches it neatly, laughing a little as he slicks his fingers, reaching for Jon.

Jon whines and pushes back into him. "Yeah, please, Tommy."

Tommy kisses his shoulder. “Shh, I got you.”

Dan grins and slides a finger inside next to Tommy's, pressing against Tommy’s familiar calluses and Jon’s tight heat.

Jon moans and Lovett kisses him quiet. “Babe, the thin walls.”

Jon glares. "Quiet me then."

Lovett kisses him again, pressing his thumbs into Jon’s jaw.

Jon gasps and pushes back onto their fingers. "Fuck me, come on, please."

Dan crooks his finger, “yeah?” already reaching to slick himself.

Jon wrenches away from Lovett’s mouth to glare up at Dan. "What do you-? Of course yeah."

Dan laughs and lines up, grabbing Jon’s hips and sliding in smoothly. Tommy leans over to kiss Jon as Dan thrusts forward, swallowing most of Jon's screams and gasps.

Lovett slides his hand down Jon’s front, slow and showy. He rings Jon's dick, squeezing him hard.

Jon whines and pushes between Lovett and Dan. Tommy laughs and follows his mouth to swallow his sounds, barely managing with Jon’s constant movement.

“Go ahead, wake the neighbors," Tommy sighs finally. He pulls back from Jon to run his fingers down Dan's back instead.

Jon shivers and bites his lip.

Lovett twists his fist as Dan presses in deep and Jon groans and comes without warning, his body shaking and clenching around Dan.

Dan chuckles breathily and pushes forward as Jon falls onto Lovett. “Okay?”

Jon nods, “please,” and groans as Dan pulls out and snaps in again.

Tommy touches Dan's shoulders and back, kissing a bruise into the back of his neck. Dan groans, “fuck,” and Tommy runs his hand down Dan’s spine.

His hand dips into Dan's crack, probing just a little. Dan stutters forwards, his fingers tightening on Jon's hips as he comes with a cry that he does his best to muffle in Jon’s shoulder.

Tommy sucks his shoulder and palms his ass while Lovett strains to kiss him and Dan struggles for breath and to stay upright.

Tommy’s hands settle on his hips, sliding him back and to the side before Tommy crawls over Dan and Jon, reaching, desperate, for Lovett.

Lovett falls back on the bed, pulling Tommy with him. "Hey babe."

Tommy grins and kisses him soundly. “Hi.”

Dan lifts himself a little, pulls Jon close to spoon as Jon stretches a shaking hand to touch Tommy and Lovett.

Tommy reaches between their bodies, getting Lovett’s dick and his own in one big hand. Lovett cries out and rocks into him, then swears and leans up to kiss him.

Tommy groans and pushes his own hips down, squeezing.

"You're both gorgeous," Dan murmurs, gratified when Tommy's spine arches.

Lovett whines into his mouth. “Tommy, more.”

The muscles in Tommy’s arm ripple as he tightens his fist and twists his wrist. Lovett gasps and pushes up into his hand arrythmically.

Tommy kisses him sloppily. "Come for me."

Lovett whines desperately and does. Tommy squeezes himself a few more times and follows him over the edge, leaning onto Lovett’s chest contentedly.

Jon squeezes closer to kiss them both. "I like New Orleans."

Tommy giggles and kisses him back. “Me too.”

Lovett curls between them. "Sleep, we have to deal with my mother in the morning."

“I don’t think it’s gonna be that much of a chore.” Dan leans over Jon to kiss Lovett’s head.

"Hopefully." Lovett shivers. "Hopefully she hasn't told my dad."

Jon shrugs. “If she has, we’ll deal.”

Lovett nods and closes his eyes. "Okay,” he says, sounding tired and unconvinced.

Jon pulls him close to his chest and kisses his head before closing his own eyes, leaning back into Dan’s chest.

Dan reaches an arm over them, holding them tight and brushing Tommy’s hip. He thinks absently about getting up for a washcloth, but the cozy warmth and the dullness of his impending hangover win out as his own eyes slip closed.

 

***

 

When Dan wakes up, the first thing he registers is the hangover pounding in his head and curling, thick and hairy, on the back of his tongue. He rolls over, Tommy’s hand falling into the newly empty space between them, feeling hot and sticky. His eyes crackle and groan as he blinks at the clock.

It blinks back at him, red and angry and so much later than it should be.

It’s even later by the time he gets them all awake and showered and presentable enough to head down to breakfast, even if Jon is wearing sunglasses and Tommy’s pale skin betrays every blotchy splash of color.

Fran shakes her head, knowingly, but keeps her mouth shut until they’ve all stomached a couple cups of coffee and a few muffins between them. Then she pushes back her chair and offers, “I could really use some fresh air. I saw a nice path towards the river. Boys?”

Lovett pushes his own chair, so quickly that it wobbles on its legs. “Yeah. Ahh, Dad?”

Robert pats his Washington Post and reaches for the coffee pot. “I’ve got my morning routine. You have fun.”

Lovett lets out the deepest breath and Dan watches as Fran steers him towards the exit, her hand on his trembling elbow. “Calm down,” she tells him, flashing them all a reassuring smile.

Dan hands Lovett a fresh travel cup of coffee and he takes it, gratefully, his fingers shaking as they brush Dan’s.

Tommy pushes his shoulder against Dan’s as they reach the footpath and tries, awkwardly, “that was a good breakfast.”

Dan snorts. “That was a thoroughly average hotel breakfast.”

Tommy pinches his side and makes a ‘say something, then’ gesture.

Dan shrugs, mouthing, ‘like what?’

Lovett turns his head, glowering at both of them. “What are you-”

Fran laughs, tugging on Lovett’s elbow to interrupt him. “Relax, boys. This isn’t a death march. I just needed some air and, honestly, you look like you could, too.”

Dan nods. “That was kind of you.”

She laughs. “So, Tommy, tell me about PSTW. I listened to Wednesday’s episode, and was blown away. How do you find these experts to talk to?”

Tommy swallows, his shoulder tightening against Dan’s momentarily, but then he answers, tentatively. Tentatively turns to impassioned and Fran nods, making encouraging noises. Lovett visibly relaxes with each of her soft questions, dropping back to lean into Jon’s shoulder as Tommy steps up next to Fran.

Jon kisses his hair, squeezing him closer, and Dan’s grateful for the deserted pathway early on a Saturday morning as so he can run his fingers over Lovett’s side comfortingly.

As Tommy dies down, Fran turns back and smiles softly at them. “So, boys, how did this happen?”

Lovett starts, straightening between them, and says, very seriously. “I got food poisoning in Nebraska.”

Fran frowns at him. “You never told me.”

“It wasn’t a big deal,” Lovett shrugs. “From a, ahh, sickness perspective. From, um, other perspectives…”

Jon kisses his head as he trails off. “It was a good stop.”

Lovett grins, nudging Dan’s side. “Dan punched a guy in a saloon.”

Dan sucks in a breath, feeling his face flush red and warm. He flicks his eyes towards Fran as he protests.”Don’t-”

“To defend my honor,” Lovett continues, preening.

Fran’s eyebrows go up and her voice is tinged with amusement. “I suppose that’s as good a reason as any.”

“It’s the only reason,” Dan promises, tripping over his words in his rush to reassure her. “It was the first - and last - time I’d ever hit anyone.”

Lovett drops his hand to twist their fingers together. “It wasn’t necessary,” he smiles. “But it was sweet.”

“Well.” Dan kisses the side of his head. “It did get us together.”

Tommy’s grin is so wide as he watches them. “It did.”

“See?” Lovett tugs at Dan’s hand, grinning just as widely. “Who knows how long we would have been idiots if you hadn’t punched us together?”

Dan rolls his eyes, but lets Lovett’s hand go so that he can wrap his arm around Lovett’s shoulders, pull him close, and brush his fingers against Jon’s at the same time.

Fran’s eyes soften as she laughs at them. “That was eight months ago?”

Lovett shrugs, his shoulders tightening under Dan’s arm. “We weren’t sure if- I don’t know, mom, this is a little untraditional.”

Fran shrugs right back at him, the exact same speed and angle as Lovett. “What have you ever done things traditionally?”

“Not ever.”

“Sometimes that hasn’t been the best option,” she tells him. “But I think, in this case, it is.”

Lovett smiles, ducking his head. “I think so, too.”

Fran’s smile twists a little dangerously. “So, tell me. How does this work?”

Dan flinches. Lovett’s smile slips. “What are you asking?”

Jon frowns at them. “We’re together. All four of us. Equally.”

“Equally once Dan moves to LA,” Tommy corrects, under his breath.

Dan’s chest catches, the way it does every time he has to get on a plane and walk away from them, back to his increasingly cold and unhomely apartment. He forces himself to roll his eyes. “This spring. I have a closing date on the condo. You know that. We’ve talked about this, at least a couple dozen times this week.”

Jon rolls his eyes, and it looks a lot less like they’re sticking in his head than Dan’s had felt. “I still don’t know why you’re bothering to pretend you’re going to live in it.”

“Because some of us don’t like tempting fate,” Dan says. He leans over Lovett’s head to kiss him, gently, before a bird chirps and their surroundings come crashing down around his ears.

Dan freezes.

Lovett squeezes his hand.

Fran laughs at them. “Don’t stop on my account.” She smiles. “Next time your father and I are in town, you should show us your home. Your actual home.”

Lovett sighs, even as Dan’s heart beats wildly around _home_. “You’ve seen my actual home, mom. Until I can get Dan to agree to house hunting, at least.”

Dan sighs, his world spinning out of control around him, and decides, hell, whatever, when cutting strings he might as well cut them all. “A five or six bedroom in LA is going to be a nightmare to find.”

Jon’s eyebrows rise above Lovett’s head. “That’s why we should start looking now,” he argues, keeping his voice level and reasonable.

Dan’s heart thumps. “I never said _no_ to the impossible, affordable mansion in WeHo idea,” he tries, shooting for steady and just as reasonable but almost certain that he misses by a mile.

Lovett grins, tugging on Dan’s hand until he stumbles into Lovett’s side. “Good. Come to LA next weekend and we’ll set up some tours.”

“That went downhill quickly,” Dan mutters, but there’s nothing in it but the steady beat of the inevitable.

Jon laughs at him. “You knew you were losing that one. You were always losing that one.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Dan grumbles, trying to hide his smile behind Lovett’s curls as he motions at Fran. “But in front of Lovett’s mother? I’ll never have clout again.”

“You never did,” Lovett tells him, sweetly.

Dan raises an eyebrow. “Who’s punch started this all?”

“Only because Jon was already scheming,” Tommy points out, reasonably.

Dan sighs and leans against Lovett’s shoulder in silence.

Fran laughs and grins at Lovett. “I see how this works.”

Lovett laughs a little and steps up between her and Tommy. “Yeah? It’s chaos.”

Jon wraps an arm around Dan’s shoulders, pulling him close, as Fran squeezes Lovett’s elbow. “You need to be kept on your toes.”

Lovett pouts and leans away from her, into Tommy’s side. “I keep them on their toes.”

“It’s a two-way street,” Tommy tells her, diplomatically.

“But mostly me,” Lovett pushes.

“Mostly you,” Tommy chuckles, kissing his head affectionately. “But we like it.”

Lovett sighs into him. “I need more caffeine.”

Dan laughs at him, “when don’t you?,” at the same time as Jon says, “I could use some, too.”

Fran laughs and turns them off the path into a small garden with a coffee shop. They order five of their largest coffees and a handful of pastries and sit around a small round table, knees bumping and hands tangled together. Lovett’s glowing, talking about their newest venture with Swing Left, as Fran smiles softly, nodding along with him.

She waits until they’re halfway through their coffees and there’s a lull in the conversation to ask, softly, into the comfortable silence, “so, are you going to tell your father?”

Lovett stiffens, his feet falling back to the floor. Dan’s thigh feels cold, where Lovett’s knee used to be, and Jon frowns at his suddenly empty hand.

“I don’t-” Lovett swallows. His voice sounds high and reedy. “He’s going to freak out.”

Fran’s smile softens. “Maybe. Or, he might just surprise you.”

Lovett raises a skeptical eyebrow. His knee bounces under the table.

“He knows you, Jon,” she insists. “And he knows how these three look at you.”

Lovett looks down at the tabletop, then up at them. Tommy reaches over to tap his hand and Jon nods, encouragingly. Lovett swings to look at Dan, and he’s not sure what Lovett is expecting to find, but it’s not the real, authentic smile gives him.

“You’re all insane.” Lovett shakes his head, staring at Tommy’s long, pale fingers against the back of his hand. “I couldn’t even get my dad to vote for not destroying our democracy. He’s not going to be okay with his gay son and his band of merry partners.”

Fran rolls her eyes. “You’re his son.”

Lovett swings to glare at her. “What version of my coming out story do you remember?” He bites his lip and visibly forces himself to quiet. “Sorry.”

She frowns. “I hope we’ve all grown since then. In a number of ways.”

Lovett eyes slide closed. “Yeah, me too. But I can’t count on that.”

Tommy flattens his hand, squeezing Lovett’s. “Whatever happens-”

“We can’t count on that,” Lovett corrects, interrupting him. “This isn’t really just my decision, this time.”

Jon frowns. His knee presses against Dan’s under the table. “We talked about this last night and we all said yes.”

“I know, I know, I just- I didn’t know if that included telling him or-” Lovett cuts himself off, looking at his mother, again. He finishes, softly, “okay.”

Tommy squeezes his head. “It includes everything.”

Dan drops his head, wrapping an arm around Lovett’s trembling shoulders. “We’re right here. We’re going to be right here, the whole time, and we’re going to be right here, after.”

Lovett breathes into his chest, slow and wet. “Okay. We should tell him, yeah.”

Fran squeezes his shoulder under Dan’s arm. “I’m proud of you.”

Dan smiles at Fran over Lovett’s head. “After the show?”

Lovett shivers. “Yeah, let’s do it.”

Tommy tugs at his hand. “Should we tell him we have something important to tell him?” he asks, easy and fond.

Lovett glares, his shoulders straightening. “Make as much fun as you want, it worked.” He tilts his head. “Maybe, actually?”

Tommy grins. “I was serious.”

Lovett pulls away from them so he can pull his phone out of his front pocket. “I’ll text him.”

“That’s-” Fran frowns a little, before sighing. “Alright.”

Lovett freezes, his thumbs still over his keyboard. “Mom, did you- Did you already tell him?”

“I didn’t,” she promises. “Just- your trick is cruel.”

Lovett glares at her and starts typing again. “Crueler than actually having to do the coming out?”

She shakes her head, still frowning. “No. That’s why I said ‘alright.’”

Lovett nods and finishes typing. He flips his phone around, so that they can read it.

Dan nods, resting his chin on Lovett’s head. Jon leans over his shoulder to press send.

Fran sighs. “Now he’s going to be terrified all day.”

Jon shrugs. “But we’ll tell him tonight. It has an end date.”

“I really am so proud of you,” Fran says. She reaches over to squeeze Lovett’s hand. “All of you.”

Lovett flushes. “I- Thanks, Mom.”

“Okay.” She slides her chair back. “We should go rescue your father.”

“He’s got his paper.” Lovett frowns. “He’s fine.”

“After receiving that text?” She raises an eyebrow. “He’s not that cold-hearted. Beside, I thought you wanted to visit the science museum?”

Lovett brightens. “Yeah, I do.”

Dan laughs and pushes his own chair back. “Come on, teach me something today.”

Lovett grins, “oh, I will,” and walks backwards back down the path so he can tell them everything he thinks they need to know about the museum. Fran smiles indulgently and Tommy asks thoughtful, interested questions.

Jon falls back, leaning into Dan’s shoulder as he watches them fondly.

Dan kisses his head. “It’s gonna be a long day,” he tries to complain, but he can’t hide how much he’s looking forward to it. He pulls out his phone. “We should find some tidbits to surprise them with.”

Jon laughs and leans closer, wrapping his elbow around Dan’s. “I love the way you think.”

Dan laughs. “Knew there was something you loved about me.”

“Lots of things,” Jon promises. Then he turns his attention to Dan’s phone, pointing to a few interesting things. Dan takes screencaps, saving them all to his photos so he can pull them up, later.

As the hotel comes into view in front of them, Jon kisses his cheek and pulls away. In front of them, Lovett takes his hand off Tommy’s arm and steps sideways, putting space between them.

Dan drops his eyes, tries to picture a house in WeHo, with three dogs and a pool and four sets of keys by the door. He can feel Jon’s eyes on him and he looks up, catching them as he shrugs. “I wish we never had to-” motions to all the sudden space between them.

Jon takes a deep breath, his chest moving visibly under his red FotP shirt. “That’s what tonight is about, right?”

Dan frowns. “I mean, still- Lovett’s father isn’t the only one we have to worry about. The world-” He shakes himself. “But, yeah.”

Jon pauses, running his fingers lightly over Dan’s wrist. “Is that why you haven’t moved yet?”

Dan shrugs a little. “It’s not _not_ why I haven’t.”

“That’s-” Jon shakes his head. “I thought you weren't certain about us.”

“No, god, Jon, no.” Dan stops, his heart beating wildly. “I’m all in and I know you are, too.”

“You should have told us.” Jon’s shaking a little, and Dan has to clench his fists not to reach out.

“I didn’t want to-” Dan frowns. “I don’t know. We were so happy, I didn’t want to bring in the practical and- I don’t know.”

“We are happy,” Jon insists, glancing back at the hotel and then taking a step forward. “But, we’re happy because we’re in this, for real. In sickness and in health and all that. What you’re feeling matters. To me.”

Dan shivers, staring at him.

Jon frowns. “What?”

“Maybe I wasn’t as sure as I thought,” Dan admits, his throat hoarse and tight.

Jon steps back again, his back tightening as he rubs at his forehead. "Lovett's about to do the bravest thing he's ever done. You might wanna be sure before we put him through that."

“No, that’s not what I-” He reaches for Jon, tentatively. “I didn’t think- I thought I might be the only one thinking that big.”

Jon reaches for him immediately, their fingers brushing and twisting together. Jon’s fingers are steady and warm around Dan’s trembling hand. "You're not. We're- you should hear it from Lovett and Tommy yourself, but, we've been right there with you. Waiting for you.”

Dan shivers. His palm is sweating.

“I want everything with you. All of you. Including the hard parts.”

Dan thinks, again, about his empty apartment and the four keys hanging by the door. He nods. “Me too. I want all of it, with all of you, every day for the rest of our lives.”

Jon squeezes his hand. “Good. Good. We need to- the four of us need to talk once we get through this weekend, I think, but god Dan, yes.”

Tommy turns from ahead of them and calls, “are you trying to get lost?,” before Dan can respond with more than a smile and a squeeze and a hopeful, “yeah.”

Jon smiles softly at Dan as he calls back, “just making sure your embarrassing doesn’t rub off on us.”

Lovett turns to walk backwards again. “When we end up in the zombie apocalypse, you’ll be glad that Tommy and I know something about science.”

Dan doesn't look away from Jon, either, as he says, mildly, “we know things about science.”

Jon snickers.

Lovett rolls his eyes. "Really know things about science."

Tommy sighs a little, “only kind of,” and squeezes Lovett’s shoulder affectionately.

"Whatever, you'll be happy you're with me when the apocalypse hits."

“When’s the apocalypse coming?” Jon asks, fake interested, as he lets go of Dan’s hand with a last squeeze and jogs forward.

Lovett hits his shoulder. "You can't ask that when we're already in the middle of a national emergency.”

Jon sighs. “You’re right, you’re right.”

“Kind of sounds like you’re planning to form a cult though,” Dan laughs, as he catches up to them.

"If I did would you join?" Lovett waggles his eyes. "There's a great recruitment job with your name on it."

Dan rolls his eyes, but admits, “honestly I probably would.”

Lovett grins at him. "Damn right."

Dan laughs a little. “Come on, I thought there was talk of some science learning.”

Lovett leans into him a little, conspicuously, and motions for his mom to round up his father.

She rolls her eyes, fondly, and steps into the lobby.

Lovett stubs his toes against the cement on the sidewalk while they wait.

Dan squeezes his elbow. “It’ll be okay.”

Lovett takes a deep breath. "And if it's not, I have you, so, it's okay."

Jon reaches for his hand to squeeze it quickly. “You do.”

"Thanks for doing this." Lovett squeezes back.

“All you,” Jon promises. “We’re here for you.”

 

***

 

“No, Dad, there are more than 2,000 types of jellyfish but only seventy percent of them are harmful to humans,” Lovett disagrees sharply.

He and Robert have been going back and forth with the science facts since they entered the museum and Robert handed over his credit card to pay for all their tickets with a quelling look at Tommy. They’re disagreeing intermittently, but mostly just nerding out in their own little world while Tommy and Jon and Dan exchange a lot of looks behind them.

Tommy shakes his head. "So that’s where he gets it from."

Fran looks up from her phone, filled with god knows how many photos of the five of them in the museum, and smiles a little. “You’d never know it to hear either of them, huh?”

Dan laughs. "I honestly thought they were oil and water."

She shrugs a little. “Maybe. But the exact same color of oil and water. Or-“ she frowns, “bad metaphor.”

"And that's where he gets _that_ from," Tommy chuckles.

Dan laughs as Fran shrugs. Lovett turns a little, eyes suspicious. “What are you giggling about back there? You’re supposed to be _learning_.”

"Just getting to know where you came from," Tommy shoots back.

Lovett groans.

Jon grins at him. “Come on, you’re leading anyway.”

Lovett glares. "I don't trust you to follow."

Jon says, “you know I’d follow you anywhere” automatically and then flinches a little.

Dan frowns at the look on Lovett’s face and casts about for a distraction. “Did you know that squid eyeballs collapse when they die?” he offers, looking at the model giant squid in the case in front of him.

Lovett narrows his eyes, even as his face _glows_. “They do not.”

“Yeah,” Dan scrolls through his phone screenshots, looking for the right page. “They’re filled with water, and it leaks out when they die.”

Lovett leans close to look at his phone. Dan sneaks his hand onto Lovett’s lower back and Lovett doesn’t pull away.

Jon asks a little too loudly, “Robert do you know what these are?” from around the corner.

Robert frowns a little, but follows Jon into the next exhibit, leaning over the description card and starting in on an explanation of bottom-feeding fish.

Dan takes a moment to lean close to Lovett, scanning through squid facts on his phone, before Tommy calls, "the bus is leaving," and Dan pushes Lovett forward, not removing his hand.

Lovett presses back against him for the walk but then steps away once they join the others. Dan's fingers twitch at the loss. He shoves his hands into his pockets as Tommy grins knowingly at him over Lovett’s head.

Dan shrugs guiltily.

“Tonight,” Tommy mouths.

Dan smiles at him and then turns to follow Lovett’s excitement.

 

***

 

“Mom, this picture is truly terrible,” Lovett bitches as they sit down for lunch.

“It’s not good,” Robert agrees solemnly, frowning at his wife.

Fran is grinning at both of them as she hands her phone to Tommy. Dan leans over his shoulder to see the picture she’d coerced into existence as they left the museum. Lovett and his dad are, posed is too generous a term, in front of a giant taxidermied bear. They’re both kinda hunched over and half-smiling, Lovett’s hand extended in the middle of a rant about taxidermists and their basements.

“Can I look at the rest?” Tommy checks, already swiping.

“Of course,” Fran grins at him. “Documentation is important Jonathan,” she snaps in response to Lovett’s continued bitching.

Dan tunes the whining to background noise, looking over Tommy’s shoulder, half for the pretense to be close, half to see the pictures. Dan bites his lip at one of him and Lovett, looking at pinned butterflies, just this side of too close, especially if you know to be looking.

Tommy bumps his shoulder into Dan’s chest as he sends it to himself. “Did you have those amateur bug collecting kits as a kid?”

“No,” Dan laughs. “Apparently I should have though.”

Their food arrives without much fanfare and Robert leans back in his seat. “So how is your advertising revenue for the year looking?”

Tommy leans in, eager, and Lovett teases him for being a nerd even as he corrects his math.

Tommy rolls his eyes and barely keeps from squeezing Lovett’s knee. Lovett bumps his knee against Tommy’s anyway, smiling a little over their french fries and beers.

Tommy grins back happily and leans towards him a little. Robert doesn't seem to notice, he's so engrossed in their financials, nodding and smiling and taking their answers as fact and good, well-thought out fact.

Dan meets Jon’s eyes across the table, smirking a little. Fran winks at Dan as she passes the ketchup and he grins back at her.

 

***

 

“So,” Jon says, carefully, as they tell Fran and Robert goodbye and head to the theater for soundcheck, “that wasn’t too awful.”

Lovett takes a deep breath and reminds him, “the worst is yet to come.”

Tommy glances up at their Uber driver, then reaches out to squeeze Lovett’s hand. “It’s going to be okay. And, even if it’s not, we’re here.”

Lovett nods, his breath catching as they pull up in front of the Orpheum Theater. He squeezes back, quickly, then lets go of Tommy’s hand and straightens his back as he steps out of the car. “Okay, do we or do we not have a show to put on?”

Jon laughs and pushes them both out of the backseat. “We do and Tanya will kill us if we’re not on stage in three minutes.”

Dan thanks the Uber driver, profusely, and follows them into the depths of the theater. He reaches for Tommy’s hand, holding it for a long length of hallway, until they dump out on stage in front of an annoyed-looking Tanya and a frantic Elijah.

“You’re almost late,” Tanya says, crossing her arms over her chest. She’s tapping her Keds against the wooden floor. It’s hollow and loud in the empty theater.

Tommy shrugs, tapping Lovett’s side as he passes behind him to take his chair. “But, we’re not.”

She glares at her watch, like she’s willing the time to speed up, then glares at them. “Go, places. Now.”

Dan laughs and squeezes Lovett’s shoulder as he passes on the way to his own place. He crosses his legs, lifting his chin so Elisa can fasten a mic to his shirt, and feels his nerves start to stabilize. There are thousands of people, already starting to line-up, expecting, wanting, deserving a good show. There are still jokes to write for the game. There are employees to tease and for Lovett to force-feed at the Italian place around the corner from the theater.

Lovett very carefully makes sure that everyone gets a bite of his gnocchi, before he turns to Jon and holds out his fork. Jon reaches for it, his fingers slipping.

Lovett frowns as he dives to catch it and fails. “You’re wasting good pasta,” he accuses and spears a second piece. This time, he holds the fork out to Jon’s mouth, his palm under it.

Jon takes it, his eyes dancing over the fork at Dan. Tommy winks and elbows him. “I could feed you, too.”

“Please don’t,” Tanya sighs, before Dan can answer.

“The boss says no,” Dan shrugs. He takes Elisa’s plate of spaghetti and twirls a forkful, faux holding it out for Tommy.

“Seriously.” Tanya hides her face in her hands. “You’ll scare the interns.”

“Part of the job,” Tommy shrugs, taking the fork from Dan and eating the bite. “Internships are built on coffee, boxed ramen, and a healthy dose of fear.”

“The Axelrod Method,” Dan nods, seriously.

“Or,” Tanya says, slowly, rolling her eyes so none of them can miss her sarcasm, “you just have no self control. Or manners.”

“Or that,” Tommy agrees. “Here, try some of this pasta, it actually is very good. I could feed you, too, if that’ll help?”

Tanya glares at him and grabs the plate of spaghetti, so abruptly that the fork rattles to the ground.

Tommy shrugs. “Just don’t want you to feel left out.”

Lovett leans on his elbows and calls to Tanya. “Did you all try the spaghetti?”

“Definitely don’t feel left out,” Tanya promises, exasperated.

Dan laughs at her and leans across her to tell Lovett, “it’s good.”

“Good?” Lovett scoffs. “Understatement.”

“You can make us try it or you can tell us how to feel about it,” Tommy bites back. “But not both.”

Lovett glares at him, then his eyes flick to Jon. “You love it, right, Jon?”

“Delicious,” Jon nods his mouth half full.

Lovett grins at him “I’ll keep you,” and glares at the rest of them. “Take heed.”

Dan laughs, pressing his ankle to Tommy’s under the table. Tommy slides his foot up Dan’s calf, grinning at him.

Tanya focuses on them. “I assume I’m glad there’s a tablecloth?”

Dan flushes, trying to pull his leg away, but Tommy drops his hand under the table to squeeze his knee. “Nothing you haven’t seen before.”

Tanay shakes her head. “You should definitely should have given me a raise when you started- Whatever this is you’ve started.”

“Dating,” Jon says, easily.

“Dating,” Tanya repeats, letting herself smile a bit. “God, we’re all screwed.”

“Or you’re lucky?” Tommy tries.

Tanya purses her lips, thoughtfully “Such as?”

Dan casts about for a positive reason as Tommy shrugs. “Cause it’ll be easier to contact all of us?”

Tanya sits back in her chair, crossing her arms across her chest. “Like you weren’t already always together.”

Dan shrugs. “Now it’s a sure thing.”

Tommy squeezes his knee. “Soon it will be, anyway.”

Dan’s body warms, a flash of heat emanating from his knee. “Soon, yeah.”

Jon looks over to catch his eye, correcting, “very soon.”

Dan smiles, his cheeks flushing. “Let’s get through tonight, okay?”

Lovett frowns.

“Then,” Dan continues, half because he hasn’t been to think about anything else since it was decided and half to chase that look off Lovett’s face, “we can start house hunting.”

Lovett’s grin lights up his face.

Tanya sighs. “Check with me on the schedule please.”

Tommy nods and says, “speaking of the schedule-”

“Yeah.” Tanya sits up and signals the waiter for their check, already pulling out her company credit card.

Tommy grins at her. “What would we do without you?”

“Your company would fall apart, that’s for sure.”

“True, Jon agrees, nodding vigorously.

Lovett nods as he eats one last bite. “No argument from me.”

Tanya loosens her arms and pushes back from her chair. “That’s more like it. But, for now, come on, let’s go. You have to be on stage in an hour.”

“Fuck.” Lovett drops his fork and pushes back his chair.

Dan reaches over a couple of seats to squeeze his ass as he stands. Lovett yelps and glares, but he grabs Dan’s hand as they lead the way out.

He doesn’t let go until they get to the theater.

 

***

 

“Two minutes,” Tanya calls softly as _Acid Rain_ plays over the murmur of the crowd. They step towards the stage, waiting. Dan peeks out into the theater, full. Tommy presses close behind him, knees bouncing with nerves. Lovett’s still leaning on the table backstage, rifling through the cards like they hold the answer to the universe.

Jon pulls Lovett into the curtains next to Dan and Tommy and kisses his forehead. “You’ll be perfect.”

Lovett takes a deep breath and nods. "Kinda wish my parents weren't in the audience."

“Forget they’re there.” Tommy squeezes his waist.

Lovett snorts, "The chance of that is zero, I’ll probably mention it in the first few minutes."

“Well, that’s that then,” Jon laughs.

Lovett leans into him, "I'll try, but- I want this all to be over."

“Not too long, and you know it’ll be fun to be out there,” Jon reassures, pulling him into a hug.

Lovett grins, "Always, always wonderful to be out there with you."

Jon laughs a little, “sap,” and kisses Lovett’s head again, “you too.”

Lovett leans into Tommy's hands for a moment then pulls away. "Time to go?"

“Yes,” Tanya says sharply, suddenly very close.

Lovett looks at her, eyes narrowed. "You could have said something."

She shrugs. “This is more fun. But I’m cueing the video.”

Jon nods and steps in front.

Dan tugs Lovett in for a quick kiss and then pushes him behind Jon. Lovett stumbles a little, then straightens his shirt and his shoulders.

Tommy reaches to smooth Lovett’s hair, squeezing his neck before letting him go. “Let’s go.”

"Good show," Tanya winks at them as the video ends and Jon walks on.

Tommy flips her off and follows.

Lovett's already laughing when he gets on stage. "I'm Jon Lovett and my parents are here tonight so I will _not_ be on my best behavior."

Jon almost falls out of his chair immediately with laughter.

Tommy chuckles. “I’m Tommy Vietor and my family is not here but still no promises on the behavior.”

Dan laughs, his chest aching with how full his heart is. "I'm Dan Pfeiffer and my parents are also not here but I'd like to impress so I'm gonna try."

Jon catches his breath and gasps a little. “News now?”

"Please," Dan agrees.

Lovett laughs, “I’m having fun here.”

"We can have fun in the news," Jon tells him, grinning. “I’m sure you have parent-inappropriate jokes about the Green New Deal.”

Lovett leans in. “Oh you think?” And then they’re off.

 

***

 

Fran and Robert meet them backstage after the show with grins and praise. Even Robert says, "that was pretty funny," before listing three things Lovett had been wrong on, before rounding back to "but you were funny while being wrong."

Lovett frowns as he launches into a detailed, planned, and calculated defense. He's bouncing with excitement the entire time.

Tommy lets his fingers trail over Lovett's lower back as Dan offers, "dinner?"

Fran says easily, “that sounds good.”

Lovett stiffens a little. Tommy's hand tightens on his back and Fran smiles encouragingly at him.

Jon squeezes Tommy’s shoulder as they walk out of the theater. Dan gets Robert talking about business and tries to be subtle as he looks at Jon and Tommy. Lovett stares mostly at the ground while Fran tugs him by an elbow, asking him about the show and the Q&A.

Lovett’s sort of distracted but still twitching by the time they sit down, squished into the booth between Fran and Tommy.

Tommy squeezes his knee under the table and hands over the menu. "Choose some things for us."

Lovett frowns but takes the menu and stares at it while Jon orders drinks.

Robert barely waits until the drinks have arrived before putting down his own menu and asking, "so do I have to wait until after dinner for whatever announcement you have?"

Lovett freezes behind the menu. Dan squeezes Jon’s knee.

Tommy takes the menu from Lovett's shaking hands. "Now's good."

“Now is not good,” Lovett mutters but he lets Tommy take it and set it to the side.

Fran squeezes Lovett's arm.

Robert glares at her, "you already know?"

“Not on purpose,” she shrugs.

Jon stifles a giggle in his hand.

Lovett glances down at the tabletop. "She, ahh, caught us. In the elevator. Last night. Anyway-"

“Caught you?” Robert looks between them.

"Yeah." Lovett takes a deep breath, leaning his knee into Tommy's hand. "Caught us, um- Well. You see- As well as running what has become a juggernaut of a podcast empire, we've, ahh, started, um, dating."

It comes out more as a question than a statement of fact, and Dan leans forward to clarify. “All four us.”

Robert blinks.

"Dating," Robert says slowly, rolling the word around on his tongue as if he’s never heard it before. "As in-?"

“Dating,” Tommy repeats. “Like, being together, in a relationship, um-” and visibly cuts himself off from _having sex._

Jon chokes a little.

“A relationship,” Robert repeats, his voice rising shrilly at the end.

Jon visibly recovers. His eyes flit between Robert and Lovett. “We're, ahh, going to start shopping for a house soon."

Robert looks between them, mouth slightly open.

Lovett twists his hands nervously in his lap. “Dad?”

“I don’t understand,” Robert says, his words at a rapid, icy clip.

Lovett frowns. “It’s not really that hard a concept to figure out. You’ve been in a relationship with mom for forty years, we’re a little newer, perhaps a little less traditional, but-”

“I don’t understand,” Robert interrupts, “why you insist on throwing your life away over and over again, Jonathan.”

Lovett reels back.

“Robert,” Fran says, softly.

“No,” Robert snaps at her. “I know you’ve got your soft heart for his unsustainable choices but someone needs to tell them, before they ruin what is somehow, against every possible odd, a successful business.”

“I told you he didn’t believe in Crooked,” Lovett bites out, eyes flying to Tommy.

Tommy swallows. “That’s not really-” He turns to Robert. “Robert, ahh, Mr. Lovett, Crooked’s doing fine. Better, even, since we started this.”

Robert rolls his eyes. “I always knew you’d drown yourself in your liberal ideals.”

“They’re not-” Lovett turns back to his father. “We love each other, dad. We’re not going to break up-”

His voice is shaking and Dan’s chest aches as he realizes, with a moment of blinding clarity, that Lovett, or at least a part of him, doesn’t believe what he’s saying.

“-and we’re not going ruin Crooked.”

“That’s what they all say,” Robert snaps. “What are you going to when this all goes south, huh? _Not_ write comedy again?”

Lovett shrinks back in his seat, his shoulders folding inwards. “Dad-”

Robert shakes his head and pushes out of his seat. “I can’t stand by and watch this.”

He storms away from the table and out of the restaurant. Dan tears his eyes away from the swinging door to see Lovett shaking a little, Jon frozen, Tommy glaring.

“Jon,” Fran says softly, reaching for Lovett’s hands.

He makes himself smaller somehow, shaking on the bench. Tommy slides an arm around him, trying to hold him steady.

“It’s going to be okay,” Fran offers weakly. “He’s just surprised, you know it takes him time to adjust.”

“I’ve got ah-” their server interrupts.

“Thanks,” Jon manages, pulling his hands into his lap to make room on the table.

Lovett’s hands are twisting in his own lap. His legs are shaking the table with their trembling. Dan looks at his shaking shoulders and raises his eyebrows at Fran - “Can I-?” - as he slides to his feet.

She nods and stands, shaking a bit herself, and switches spots with Dan. Dan leans close to Lovett, looping his arm over Tommy’s and kissing his head. Jon’s feet bump Dan’s ankles as they hook behind Lovett’s ankles under the table, Jon reaching around the food to take Lovett’s hands.

Lovett accepts all their touches without flinching away, but doesn’t react either, looking down at Tommy’s hand on his knee.

Fran is perched nervously on the edge of the other bench, looking like she’s aching to reach out, but Dan can’t really spare too much attention for her right now.

Dan presses his lips to Lovett’s forehead again, murmurs his name softly. “Lovett. Jon. We’re here love.”

Jon taps his ankle and calls his name too, low. Their collective efforts finally cut through Lovett's defenses.

Lovett blinks a little and looks up into Jon’s face, eyes hollow.

"I love you," Jon tells him, "no matter what, I'll always love you."

“Same here,” Tommy murmurs in his ear, still stroking his side. “I love you so much.”

Dan squeezes his hand and kisses his forehead. "Me too. I love you so much, Jon, you're worth so much more than that."

Lovett shivers and nods and locks his emotion behind that horrible mask he wears. “Yeah, I love you too. Look, food,” he says, too loud and too bright, his voice shaking.

"We don't have to eat," Tommy murmurs as he passes the quesadillas to Lovett. "We can go home."

Lovett shakes his head stubbornly. “We ordered it and it looks good.”

"We did," Tommy says, slowly, "but anytime you want to go, just, say.”

Lovett nods a little and leans into Dan, “I want quesadillas first.”

Dan serves him the biggest one and piles all the toppings next to it. "Tell me how it is before I try it.”

Lovett smiles weakly at him. “I’m not your guinea pig.”

"You're such a good one though," Jon urges as he passes the plate of nachos.

Lovett scoffs. “You’re just uncreative.”

Jon shrugs, "I'm not gonna argue with that." Tommy grins and reaches for Jon’s wrist, squeezing it comfortably.

Lovett manages half a smile and a bite of quesadilla. He chews it slowly and nods. “It’s good, you guys should have some.”

Jon nods, "endorsement enough," and slides his hand across Lovett's and reaches for the plate.

Tommy smiles and reaches for the nachos.

Dan slowly offers. “So I think that question about healthcare, we should have focused more on Medicaid cuts.”

Jon picks it up. “Yeah, we really should have gone deeper on expansion too.” He pauses, blatantly waiting for Lovett to jump in but Lovett just nods, tiny.

Tommy frowns, “I think we need to cut it anyway, the Charleston ones sounded bad.”

Lovett nods again and shoves another bite into his mouth.

They keep talking, leaving overlarge pauses that Lovett fills only with nods and affirmative noises and squeezes of their hands.

They keep exchanging worried glances across the table, even more so when Tommy asks about dessert and Lovett shrugs.

Jon squeezes his hand. “They have churros.”

Lovett shrugs again. "I'd have a bite."

Dan frowns at him, but looks at the waiter, "We'll do a couple orders of the churros, and one of the fried ice cream. Spoons all around."

When the waiter leaves, Fran slides out of the booth "I'm going to leave you to-" she leans over to squeeze Lovett's hands and stops halfway.

Lovett frowns a little. “You don’t have to go, Mom.”

She smiles sadly at him and does lean across Dan to kiss Lovett’s forehead. "I have some things I need to say to your father. I love you so much and I am so proud of you."

He smiles weakly at her, “I love you too Mom.”

Fran kisses Jon and Dan on the cheeks quickly. "Please, take care of him, tonight. And call me if you need anything. I mean it."

Jon smiles at her, small and soft. “Thanks Fran.”

She nods, looking at them, sad and torn, then sighs and walks away.

Lovett leans into Tommy’s chest. “Fuck.”

Tommy runs his hand down Lovett's back. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

Lovett nods a little, “I know, I know,” as he reaches for the last nacho.

"We don't have to talk about it right now," Jon tells him.

"But you've gotta talk about it sometime," Dan adds, squeezing Lovett’s shoulder.

Lovett sighs. “When we get back to the hotel, maybe.”

“That's okay," Tommy agrees. "As long as you eat some ice cream."

Lovett rolls his eyes a little, “I’m not a child, ice cream doesn’t make everything better.” Despite his petulant tone, there’s a tiny smile tugging at his lips.

"It's about making me feel better about your mental state,” Tommy responds easily, reaching for the plates as the server sets them down.

Lovett frowns at them but takes the spoon Dan hands him.

He eats a bite and actually perks up a little. "This is pretty good, here," and spoons another bite, holding it out for Dan.

Dan grins and leans towards him to take it, kissing Lovett’s hand as he nears the spoon.

Lovett smiles a little. “Good, right?”

Dan nods, looking right at Lovett’s eyes. "It's wonderful."

Lovett scoffs a little. “Don’t look at me like that.” The smile is spreading into his cheeks.

Dan shrugs and reaches for a churro without looking away. "I'm not looking at you any way."

Lovett rolls his eyes, fond. “Tommy, eat some ice cream.”

Tommy laughs and reaches for the bowl, digging his spoon in easily. "See, ice cream does cure all ills."

Lovett laughs hollowly. “Nah, but it’s good.”

Jon reaches for Lovett’s hand, hopeful. "Can I get a bite, too?"

Lovett holds out the spoon.

Jon takes the bite, then leans across the table to kiss him, a bit of ice cream glistening on his lips.

Lovett sighs into his mouth, “we’re still in public Jon.”

"I know, but, no one's looking," Jon says, pulling back so slowly.

Dan shivers and Tommy shakes his head at them. "Okay, that's the cue for the check."

Jon laughs a little. “Yeah, I think so.”

 

***

 

Jon kisses the side of Lovett’s neck as they pass the hotel check-in desk and head straight for the elevators.

Lovett squirms a little. “Still in public.”

Jon waits til the elevator doors slide closed, then kisses him again. "Not anymore."

Lovett pulls back. “Have you already forgotten last night? Hotel room first.”

Jon laughs, "last night turned out okay," but pulls far enough away to grab Lovett's hand, tightly.

Lovett huffs a little. “Did it?”

"The last night part," Tommy tells him, gently. “Your mom loves you."

Lovett shivers a little but nods, “I know, I know.”

"In the room," Tommy tells them, sternly, as the elevator door opens on their floor.

They stumble down the hall, Dan fumbling with the lock until it opens. Tommy pushes them all inside and Jon sits on the bed, pulling Lovett into his lap.

Lovett curls into his chest immediately.

Dan climbs on to the bed behind them, wrapping his arms around both of them. Tommy slides next to Jon and leans on Dan’s shoulder, close and reassuring.

Lovett takes a deep breath. "My dad's an asshole, but-" bites his lip, "he might not be entirely wrong."

Jon grits his teeth. “He’s wrong.”

Lovett shrugs, "I don't know, we're- This company is everything. We're risking a lot."

Tommy squeezes his knee. “And we’re all all in, right? It’s not- we’re not going to let it _not_ work.”

Lovett nods. "I know, I am, but-" He bites his lip, looking between them nervously.

Jon squeezes him tight and twists a little to look at Dan. “We need to talk about it, actually, make sure we’re all on the same page of how in we all are.”

Dan holds up his hands. "I didn't- I'm all in, I just didn't know how you all felt?"

Jon nods. “That’s why we should talk about it.”

Lovett frowns. "I just outed us to my dad. I'm in. Forever."

“Me too. I’m so so in, I’ve been in,” Tommy says, leaning to kiss Lovett.

"Me too,” Jon agrees. “Completely. Since day one. I'm sorry we haven't talked about it before now."

Dan sighs and leans on Jon’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I’ve been holding out on moving.”

“That has been a little concerning,” Lovett frowns, turning to look at Dan.

“He was worried we weren’t in for it,” Jon contributes.

“Stupid,” Lovett says fondly, reaching for Dan’s face.

Dan leans closer to kiss him. "I just- I feel, _a lot,_ and, it wasn't fair to expect all of that from you, too."

Lovett rolls his eyes a little. “‘A lot,’ he says,” Lovett sighs and kisses Dan again. “That’s kinda the whole thing babe.”

"Yeah," Dan grins, flushed and happy. "We didn't talk about it, but, I'm glad it is. I want it all.”

Tommy sighs and leans closer to pull Dan into a kiss of his own. “So we all need to talk more.”

Jon nods. "That's what I'm saying. This isn't going to work without much better communication.”

“But-“ Tommy says firmly. “It’s going to work. We’re all communications experts, after all.”

Lovett chuckles sourly. "Cause we've all been doing so well so far."

Dan sighs a little and kisses his head. "We've done fine. We'll do better."

"I'm gonna hold you to that,” Lovett nods. “Once we're all under one roof."

Dan kisses him, slow and gentle. "I promise."

"Did you really mean what you said? About looking for a house when we get back?" Lovett asks, cautiously.

Dan nods, hating the nervous look in Lovett’s eyes. "Yeah I did. I, uh, I've been thinking- we should all find one together, yeah?"

Lovett's eyes light up. "Yes! I mean, if you want. We can be flexible."

Dan laughs a little, "I just said I want." He strokes Lovett’s cheek carefully. "I want everything."

Lovett turns to kiss his palm. "I'm just ... communicating. Following the plan."

Dan grins. "You're good at plans."

Lovett grins back, "I am," and pulls out his phone. "I actually have some houses we can look at."

Tommy laughs a little. "You have a Zillow addiction."

"Sure, but-" Lovett hands over his phone. "I have a purpose, this time."

Jon laughs and wraps an arm around Lovett’s waist, hooking his chin over Lovett’s shoulder to look at the slideshow. He makes a pleased noise and Dan reaches over to steal the phone.

“This looks really nice,” Dan breathes, scrolling through the pictures. There’s a pool and a deck large enough for a permanent outdoor BBQ and a master bedroom large enough for all of them and three - maybe even that fourth - dogs.

Lovett shrugs and looks up at Dan through his eyelashes. “I didn’t know exactly what our specifications would be, but-”

Jon kisses Lovett’s neck. “We should go look at it this week.”

Dan makes an affirmative noise and hands Lovett back his phone. Lovett takes it with a grin, his fingers brushing Dan’s, and starts typing immediately.

“I’ll arrange it,” Lovett says, easily, then frowns and looks up to pierce Dan with a look. “No take backs.”

Dan sighs and leans closer to him. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Lovett buries his head in Dan’s shoulder and snuffles. “I knew we were better together. My dad doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Jon rubs Lovett’s back, his hand slow and steady on Lovett’s spine. “Your dad doesn’t know shit.”

Lovett snorts, but it’s watery. “He’s never going to understand me.” Lovett takes a deep breath and corrects, “us.”

“Maybe he’ll come around,” Dan says, believing it and not believing it in equal measure. Robert’s last look seared into his mind’s eye, his head turned over his shoulder and his mouth twisted, like he didn’t even owe them a proper thought. Dan swallows. “And even if he doesn’t, you have us, and we’re enough to deal with, don’t you think?”

“Yeah.” Lovett laughs a little. “You’re all I need. Fuck him.”

Jon hugs him, leaning back against the pillows and pulling Lovett with him. “We love you so much.”

Lovett goes, squeezing his eyes set. His breath catches as Jon drops his hand between Lovett’s legs, “fuck, Jon, emotional confessions turn you on?”

Jon kisses his neck, his words muffled in Lovett’s skin. “So much.”

Tommy groans and presses his own palm between his thighs. “Fuck, you guys.”

Lovett laughs and reaches his hand out, “come here.”

Tommy whines as he goes, sliding onto his knees so he can reach Lovett’s mouth. They’re both flushed, Lovett’s fingers shaking against Tommy’s cheek and Tommy’s back muscles rippling and trembling. Dan can’t take his eyes off them as he takes the hand Jon holds out for him and he can’t help rutting against Jon’s spread calf.

“Fuck,” Lovett murmurs, pulling away to watch Jon press his leg up and into Dan. “You’re so good.”

There’s a gasp, and Dan can’t be sure if it’s from him or Jon, as Lovett turns his head to kiss Jon. It’s definitely Lovett who groans, deep in his throat, when Tommy reaches around Lovett’s hips to fumble with his buttons.

Lovett sucks his his stomach, stretching his back so Tommy can gets his hand inside. Tommy pats his stomach affectionately, then slides his hand down, pulling Lovett’s waistband out and down.

“Fuck,” Dan groans, swallowing against the dryness in his throat and Jon pulls away to follow his eyes to Tommy’s hand.

Lovett whines at the loss and it hits Dan so hard that he’s falling forward, tripping over Jon’s legs before he even realizes he’s doing it. Lovett laughs and pulls him into a kiss that turns wet and thick as Dan rights himself, then uses his new position to slide his hand down Lovett’s chest, into his pants, wrapping his fingers with Tommy’s around Lovett’s dick.

Jon squirms, repositioning himself so he can watch their hands. His ass nestles against Dan’s dick and Dan turns his head, feeling Lovett’s mouth on his jaw, so he can whisper in Jon’s ear, “get your pants off.”

Jon shakes a little, pushing back into Dan as he reaches down to fumble with his jeans.

Lovett’s breath falters in Dan’s ear and he reaches down, his hands brushing accidentally against Dan’s hip before finding their way into Jon’s briefs. Dan’s pretty sure Lovett thinks he’s helping, but from Dan’s perspective there’s just a tangle of fingers and cotton and denim, until Jon’s finally able to kick his jeans to the floor. Then there’s endless lines of Jon’s strong, tanned skin and Lovett’s pale, soft hands, broken only by the blue and green stripes of Jon’s briefs.

Dan groans, “you’re so hot,” as he undoes his own fly. He lifts his hip so he can get his pants halfway down his thighs, then reaches for Jon’s, pulling him back, back, back, until Dan’s nestled, hard and hot and wet between Jon’s thighs, even through two layers of cotton.

“Fuck,” Jon groans and rocks back into him. The friction is fire up Dan’s spine. “ _Dan_.”

Lovett’s eyes flick down and back up, alight and warm. He twists so he can slide a hand between Jon’s legs. “Where’s the lube?”

Tommy chuckles and stretches back, never removing his hand from Lovett’s pants as he twists at an awkward angle to grab the bottle from the bedside table.

Lovett runs his hand up Tommy’s side saying, disapproving, “you’re way overdressed,” as he plucks the bottle from Tommy’s fingers.

Tommy squeezes Lovett and rolls his eyes, “I’ve been a little busy.” He jerks Lovett a few more times, the scratch of cotton and skin loud in the room, before he pulls out and rolls onto his back so he can strip.

Lovett bends forward, whimpering at the loss for a moment, until Dan reaches over to drag his wrist. “Focus,” he chastises and Lovett’s eyes go wide.

“You’re too much,” Lovett sighs, but he manages to get lube into his palm and then his hand between Jon’s thighs. His fingers slide under the hem of Jon’s briefs, playing, momentarily, until Jon gives up on both of them and shifts to kick them to the floor with his jeans.

Jon smirks as he settles back onto the mattress, draping his leg over Lovett’s hips and opening himself wide.

“Fuck.” Lovett’s eyes are as wide as saucers and his hand shakes as he brings his hand back to Jon’s leg.

He drops his mouth to kiss, absently, at Jon’s chest as he slides his fingers past Jon’s balls, teasingly. His fingers brush against the tip of Dan’s clothed dick and Dan shivers and thrusts forward, into him, into Jon.

Lovett grins, flicking his eyes up to Dan’s as he presses the tip of a finger into Jon. “You’re wearing too many clothes, too.”

Dan leans over to kiss him, then away for just long enough to strip off his shirt and boxers.

Tommy pushes against Lovett’s back, his hands on Lovett’s sides and his dick pushing against the back of Lovett’s thighs. Lovett’s hand freezes in Jon as he turns to glare at Tommy. “Stop touching me until I’m done with Jon.”

Tommy chuckles and presses his lips, lightly, to Lovett’s neck as he trails his hand from Lovett’s to Jon’s side.

Jon whines, shivering between them. “All of you?” He asks, wondrous.

Tommy chuckles, his breath on Lovett’s neck making him shiver. “Think you can handle it?”

Jon groans out, “no,” and shakes his head, “don’t you dare stop.”

Dan laughs and tightens his fingers on Jon’s hip, dragging his dick along Jon’s lower back, his precome shiny and cool on Jon’s tan, heated skin. “Kinda giving us mixed messages, babe.”

Jon keens and pushes back into him, managing a series of high-pitched noises that culminate in one, long, drawn-out, “ _please_.”

Dan kisses along his neck, chuckling into his shoulder. “How’s he doing, Lo?”

Lovett twists his wrist, adding another fingers. “Soon.”

Dan arches his hips, gratefully, and Tommy’s eyes light up. He pushes up onto an elbow and leans across Lovett and Jon to squirt lube onto Dan’s dick.

“Fuck.” Dan’s hips stutter. He grits his teeth. “Not helping.”

Jon pushes back. “I’m good, I’m good.”

Lovett drops his shoulder so he can slide deeper. He kisses Jon’s chest as he checks, “sure?”

“Yes, yes,” Jon gasps, rapidly. “Please, Dan, come on.”

Dan laughs and accuses, “desperate,” as if his dick isn’t jumping and twitching in Tommy’s hand.

Tommy grins, pulling Dan forward and, with Lovett’s help, lining him up.

“ _Yes_ ,” Jon murmurs, pressing back and over him. “Fuck, yeah, you’re just as desperate.”

Dan groans, his fingers leaving white bruises on Jon’s hips, an answer, a plea, a physical admittance of all the things he’d said with his words earlier.

Jon throws his head back, his body loosening around Dan, warm and wet and deep. Dan doesn’t cut off the series of deep, breathy sounds punched out of his chest.

Lovett’s eyes widen, shining with heat, as he brushes his hand between Jon’s knees and turns to Tommy. “I’m not touching Jon anymore.”

Jon whines pathetically, pushing back against Dan. Tommy laughs. “He’s so greedy.”

Dan can’t argue, as Jon squelches and opens even more, pulling Dan even deeper. Dan holds his hip tight so that he can pull out a litte, then back in, slowly.

Lovett slides his hand up Jon’s thighs, to his chest. “Yeah, he is,” Lovett breathes.

Jon whines, again, and Tommy chuckles. He grabs Lovett’s hips to shift him and slides between his legs as he asks, off-handedly, “should I suck him off while Dan fucks him?”

Dan’s hips stutter upwards.

Jon shakes, his back heaving against Dan’s chest.

Dan hooks his chin over Jon’s shoulder, watching as Lovett twists his fingers into Tommy’s hair, pushing him down, between Jon’s knees. Tommy grins up at both of them as he takes Jon into his mouth, slow and measured.

Jon tries to buck, his thigh trembling with the effort to hold back. Dan groans, thrusting deep, and twists his fingers with Tommy’s on Jon’s hips.

Tommy’s thumb is warm on Dan’s knuckles, drawing tantalizing circles. Dan uses the leverage to thrust, deep and slow.

“This is fucking ridiculous,” Lovett mutters as he lifts up to kiss Dan over Jon’s shoulder, “getting to watch this.”

Dan groans, opening his mouth for Lovett’s tongue, warm and wet. Lovett slides between Dan’s lips, starting slow but speeding up, quickly. Dan copies his rhythm with his hips, clutching at Jon’s hips and Tommy’s fingers as he shifts the angle so he can use his knee to thrust faster.

Lovett breathes out, “fuck,” and drops his head to Jon’s shoulder. He twists Jon’s nipple between his fingers and, when Jon gasps and turns, blindly, for him, he turns his head to kiss Jon, sloppy and uncoordinated.

Tommy’s eyes flick up, catching Dan’s over their shoulders. He thrusts against the mattress, his ass dimpling as he seeks out the friction. Then he winks and sucks in his cheeks.

Jon thrusts upwards, clenching around Dan, as he cries out, “fuck, Tommy, _god_.”

Tommy hums a little and Jon quakes around him. He’s clenching and unclenching, his body sucking Dan in, deeper and deeper.

Dan drops his head to bite at Jon’s shoulder, burying his groans and moans into Jon’s skin as they get steadily louder.

Lovett kisses his forehead and moves his fingers from Jon’s nipple to squeeze Dan’s side. “Close?”

Dan nods, groaning out, “fuck, yeah,” into the bruise he’s made on Jon’s collarbone.

Dan feels it, building in the tops of his thighs, flashes of white lightning flickering across all the spaces they’re touching, Lovett’s fingers on his ribs and Tommy’s hand around his and Jon’s thighs flush against his hips. His world narrows and blurs as, around him, Lovett’s fingers tighten in Tommy’s hair, Tommy’s throat moves as he runs his tongue around the tip of Jon’s dick, Lovett kisses Jon’s chest, Tommy’s hand tightens on Jon’s thigh as Dan’s.

All Dan can feel is Jon, so wet and tight around him.

All Dan can hear is Jon’s gasping breath and his desperate warning, “fuck, fuck, I’m gonna-”

And then Jon is coming. He buries his cries in Lovett’s mouth as he pushes forward, crying into his lips.

He thighs shake in Tommy’s hands as Tommy swallows him through it.

He clenches, even tighter, like a vice around Dan. Dan thrusts through it, forcing past Jon’s walls and gasping into Jon’s damp skin.

Tommy pulls off, moving his fingers from Jon’s hip to Dan’s, meeting Lovett’s hand on Dan’s ribs.

Jon turns, warm and quiet and sated, to murmur “you feel so good, babe.”

Dan shivers between them, pushing into all three of them as he shakes apart in Jon. His vision fuzzes at the edges and he collapses against Jon’s back.

He’s not sure how long he floats, his eyes closed tightly against Jon’s shoulder and the sounds of laughter and skin on skin filling the room. But when he comes back down, Jon’s hand is in his hair and Lovett’s saying, breathlessly, “I love you, fuck, I love you all.”

“Are you still with us back there?” Jon asks.

Dan forces his eyes open to see Lovett on his back, one hand tight in Tommy’s hair. There’s a bottle of lube in his other hand and he shakes it in Dan’s field of vision. “Are your fingers working at least?”

“Maybe?” Dan sighs a little. “Where are you making me move?”

“I don’t really care as long as you can-” Lovett gasps and pauses as Tommy twists his tongue around Lovett’s dick- “reach Tommy’s dick.”

Tommy yelps.

Dan chuckles and flexes his muscles, testing them as he reaches for the lube. “I think I can manage that.”

He drapes himself over Jon’s back so he can slide a finger down Tommy’s spine. Jon leans back into him, lazily, as Tommy arches his back and Lovett tugs at his hair.

“That okay?” Lovett checks, smiling down at Tommy.

“Anytime,” Tommy promises, rising up Lovett’s body for a kiss and raising his hips as Dan slides his hand over Tommy’s ass.

Dan slips a finger inside, wishing he was a young man again as Tommy clenches, hot and desperate, around his finger.

Lovett runs his hands up Tommy’s sides. “Want you.”

“You too.” Tommy kisses him, the movement pushing Dan’s fingers deeper.

Dan adds a second finger, but he doesn’t do much more than scissor them, slowly, before Tommy’s gasping and pushing back.

“I’m ready,” Tommy moans, kissing Lovett again and again. “Come on, Lovett, please.”

Lovett blinks, slowly, “what if I’m not ready?,” but tugs at Tommy’s hips.

“I wouldn’t believe you,” Tommy grins at him. He slides up Lovett’s legs, letting Dan hold him open as he settles into place.

“Smart man,” Lovett breathes, as Jon wraps his fist around him and guides him, slowly, into Tommy’s body.

Tommy spreads his knees even wider and sinks down. Dan slides his fingers along Lovett’s dick and Tommy’s rim as he pulls back.

“God you’re beautiful,” Jon breathes.

“You are,” Lovett agrees, running his hands down the inside of Tommy’s thighs.

Jon shakes his head and leans over to kiss Lovett’s mouth. “Both of you,” he corrects.

“Fuck, I- fuck,” Tommy groans out as Lovett thrusts deeper.

Dan slides his hand around to cup Tommy’s dick. Tommy cries out and falls forward.

“Tommy,” Lovett breathes into Jon’s mouth, his hips stuttering.

Tommy whines and sways between them, grinding his hips down and leaning into Dan’s hand. Jon shifts a little so he can tweak Tommy’s nipple while still kissing Lovett.

“Fuck,” Tommy groans, his dick jumping and leaking. Dan tightens his fist, gathering the precome to ease his way.

“Yeah,” Jon grins, pinching his nipple again. “That’s it.”

Lovett arches into him. “Come on, baby.”

Tommy freezes, every muscle locking, and then he’s falling forward, coming long and hot over Dan’s hand.

Lovett groans, “fuck,” and thrusts up. “Fuck, fuck.”

Dan ease off, running his fingers through the come that dripped onto Lovett’s chest.

Jon bites at Lovett’s lip, “come, Jon, come for us.”

Lovett cries into his mouth and does. His whole body shakes, arching into them and gasping through it.

Tommy whines and leans into Dan’s hands, letting Dan ease him down between Jon and Lovett. He buries his head in Jon’s chest and Dan chuckles at him, kissing his cheek and sliding back, behind Jon, his arm still slung all the way to Lovett’s waist.

Lovett sighs and curls around Tommy’s back. “We should shower.”

“Enjoy that,” Jon murmurs, burying his head in his pillow.

Dan laughs and slaps his ass. “You can be sticky in the morning if you want.”

Tommy sighs, “go draw the water, I’ll be there eventually,” but makes no motion to move.

Dan rolls his eyes, “I gotta do everything around here,” but leans down to kiss each of them before he slides off the bed and heads into the bathroom.

He listens to the warm murmurs of their sleepy, sated voices while he starts the water. Lovett’s the first to join him, coming immediately to rest against his chest as they wait for the water to warm.

“I’m going to pour a bucket of cold water over them if they don’t join us in thirty seconds,” he warns, sleepily.

Dan laughs and shoves him into the water. Lovett goes, screaming as he’s blasted by the warmth. Dan steps in after him, crowding him up against the wall, and kisses down his neck until the shower curtain opens.

“We tired him out,” Tommy says with a laugh as he pushes Jon into the shower with them.

“I’m going to be very proud of that,” Lovett warns.

Jon glares at him. “Stop gloating and hold me up, asshole.”

Lovett laughs and tugs him close, a bar of soap already in his hands. “Hi baby.”

Jon rolls his eyes and leans down to kiss him, “hi.”

Dan laughs and soaps Jon’s hair as Lovett runs his hands up and down his back and sides. Jon sighs and sways between them, his eyes already closing and his body going limp against them.

Tommy presses himself to Dan’s back, kissing his shoulder and reaching to take the soap from Lovett. Dan leaves Lovett to wash out Jon’s hair and wraps his hand in Tommy’s, pulling him in for a kiss.

“This is counterproductive,” Tommy sighs, as he runs his hands over Dan’s chest.

“Counterproductive isn’t counterproductive if we change the goal,” Lovett tells him, as he covers Jon’s eyes and tips his head back into the water.

“Oh,” Tommy raises an eyebrow, “can you go again?”

“I wish,” Lovett hums. “Been almost a decade since that, but, this feels nice.”

Jon moans and leans into him.

Tommy laughs. “His mind is bigger than his dick.”

“That doesn’t even make sense,” Lovett glares.

Dan laughs. “Made sense to me.”

Lovett scoffs and washes the last of the soap off Jon’s back. Jon blinks, sleepily, smiling softly.

“We’ve gotta get this one to bed,” Tommy laughs.

Dan laughs and slides down to soap Tommy’s legs. Tommy taps his hands with his foot and Dan grins, running the bar up Tommy’s inner thighs and then, without warning, sliding a finger into Tommy to clean him. He’s wet and warm, and Dan can feel Lovett still leaking out of him.

Tommy sighs and sways into him. “Fuck, Dan.”

Dan stands, kissing Tommy’s neck as he works a second finger in. He scissors them until Tommy moans, then pulls them out and washes them under the spray.

Tommy pushes his ass into Dan’s hands. “Goddamn.”

“Next time,” Dan promises.

Tommy hums. “Holding you to that.”

“I’m planning on it,” Dan grins, leaning forward to grant Tommy a kiss.

Lovett sighs at them, then shifts. “Jon’s getting heavy, can we go back to bed?”

Tommy laughs, “yeah,” and reaches for Jon’s arm, pulling him out and into a towel.

Lovett stays long enough to tug Dan into a kiss, then shuts the water off and reaches for Dan’s hand.

Dan slides into bed next to Tommy, leaning over to kiss the top of Jon’s head on his chest. Lovett follows, wrapping his arm around Dan’s waist and kissing his neck, happily. “Love you.”

Dan tangles his fingers with Lovett’s. “We love you so much and, whatever happens, we’re so proud of you.”

Lovett sighs into his shoulder and curls even closer. “I- I’m so glad I have you.”

Tommy twists his hand so he can squeeze their hands on Dan’s hip. “Always. We’re not going anywhere.”

Lovett sighs happily. “Love you, Tommy.”

Dan lets his eyes slide closed as Tommy whispers, “you too. Now, sleep, we have an early flight.”

Lovett groans, “we do,” and closes his eyes against Dan’s back.

Tommy holds their hands as they all drift off.

 

***

 

Lovett is yelling at Jon to quit hogging the bathroom when there’s a knock at their door the next morning.

“Did someone order room service?” Jon calls around his toothbrush as Dan finishes tugging on his shirt and crosses the room to open the door.

Robert is standing in the hallway, looking awkward and caught out, feet twisted around each other like he was about to walk away, shirt hem wrinkled like he was rubbing it between his fingers in thought - just like his son does, Dan realizes with a start.

"Dan?" Tommy calls, from deep in the room where he's packing both his and Lovett's suitcase, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist.

"Ahh," Dan searches for the words, doesn’t find the words, falls silent.

Lovett pokes his head out of the bathroom. “What’s-? Dad.” His face is blank, voice breaking so subtly Dan barely catches it.

Robert rubs at the back of his head. "Ahh, hi. Jon, can I come in?"

Lovett just stares at him, shaking a little.

"It's not-" Robert sighs, glancing down the hallway. "I owe you an apology."

Dan finds his voice. “I think you owe him more than that.”

Robert's eyes flash, then he nods. "You're right, of course you're right."

Dan glares protectively but steps back slightly from the door. Robert steps through it, just far enough inside that it can close behind him. Tommy sidles up behind Dan, sweatpants thrown on to replace his towel.

Lovett stays in the bathroom door, wary, Jon behind him, the toothpaste forgotten, his hand on Lovett's hip.

Lovett swallows. "What you said last night- did you believe all that?"

“I... was hasty.” Robert stammers.

"But you weren't wrong?" Lovett asks, slowly, his voice cracking.

Jon squeezes his hip.

"No, I-" Robert sighs. "I was wrong to jump to conclusions. I wasn't wrong to worry about what this could do to your company."

Lovett nods stiffly, “okay,” taking a step back.

The tremor in Lovett’s voice, the fear in his posture, breaks through all of Dan’s self-control just like it had eight months ago in a dive bar in Nebraska.

“No, it’s not okay,” he snaps. “This company, this wonderful, world-changing company that these three have dreamed up, it works because the four of us know each other so well. It works _because_ we love each other so much and push each other to be our best selves. It works because when we go onstage in sold out theaters, we’re supported and playing off our best audience, the people who love each other most.

“It’s only gotten _better_ since we admitted just how much we care about each other. It’s only getting smoother and more in sync as we bring every aspect of our lives into step.

“And even if,” Dan pauses for breath. “Even if that weren’t true, even if it were bad for business, I’d expect our _parents_ to support what makes us happy and fulfilled.”

Dan cuts himself off, eyes darting around nervously. Lovett is staring at him, face open and adoring, his eyes a little wet as he leans into Jon. Jon is holding Lovett tightly, whole body tense. Tommy is still hovering behind Dan, glowering at Robert.

Robert holds up his hands. "Okay, okay, it's clear you love my son an awful lot."

Tommy says immediately, “we do. All of us.”

Jon nods, his arm tightening around Lovett’s waist, repeats, "all of us."

Lovett shivers and leans into Jon. “And I love them too.”

"Okay, I can- I'm not going to say I fully understand that, but I'm going to try," Robert says slowly.

Dan nods, a little sharp still. “I hope you mean that.”

"I do," Robert shakes his head. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

Lovett laughs a little bitterly. “Well _that’s_ true.”

Dan frowns at him, his blood still boiling. "I don't just accept that. You're going to need to prove it."

Robert nods slowly. “Okay. I- how?”

Dan shrugs. "I don't know. That's for you to figure out."

Lovett shivers.

Robert nods thoughtfully.

"Our flight's in a couple of hours," Tommy says, pointedly, touching Dan’s shoulder gently.

Robert nods, “I’ll uh, leave you to pack.” He takes a couple steps back and looks at Lovett. “I really am sorry for overreacting, Jon.”

Lovett nods, biting his lip. He doesn’t break until the door closes, but as soon as the lock clicks, he lets his whole body sag into Jon while Tommy and Dan cross the short distance to them.

They end up on the filthy hotel carpet, Lovett in Jon's lap. "He apologized," Lovett says, watery.

Tommy leans in to kiss his face. “He did.”

"He doesn't-" Lovett pauses. "He doesn't think it's a great idea, but he doesn't hate it."

Dan squeezes his hand, takes a deep breath, wills himself to be helpful. “He’s off balance. Maybe he’ll figure it out.”

Lovett takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. "I'm still so angry."

Jon hugs him. “You’re entitled to be.”

"And hopeful?" Lovett sighs. " I don't know what I'm feeling. I'm just sorry you all have to deal with him now, too."

Dan growls a little, low in his throat. Tommy kisses Lovett’s cheek and responds before Dan can, “Don’t you get it yet? This is the deal, all of us are in this.”

Lovett buries his head in Jon's chest, laughs wetly. "It's too much."

Jon kisses his head. “We love you.”

"Fuck," Lovett raises his head for a kiss. "Me too."

Tommy’s watch beeps and he frowns at it, “We do have to catch this flight.”

Lovett wipes his eyes and struggles up. “Yeah, I'm gonna actually take this shower."

Jon squeezes his ass gently. “I could join you.”

Lovett pauses then bites his lip. "Yeah."

"We're on a time crunch," Tommy calls after them.

Jon flips him off easily as he goes into the bathroom. “We’re being efficient.”

Dan raises an eyebrow, and raises it even higher as Lovett laughs and moans.

Tommy rolls his eyes and tugs Dan’s elbow. “Come on, they certainly aren’t going to pack.”

Dan laughs and grabs Jon's suitcase. "Were we really only here for two days? This place is a disaster."

“Doesn’t this always happen?” Tommy sighs. “Our stuff seems to explode.”

"We should start getting suites," Dan suggests. "Now that we're not paying for four separate rooms."

Tommy hums a little, “That could work. More to clean up though.”

"Yeah, but, a little more spread out," Dan tries to argue.

Tommy laughs. "You don't live with us yet, you'll see how Lovett can spread to fill every space."

Dan laughs, a little hollow. “I will.”

Tommy pauses and reaches for him. "That wasn't- I didn't mean that as a rebuke. You _will_ learn. I give it a week."

Dan sighs a little and leans into him. “I know you didn’t,” kisses him, “I’m looking forward to it.”

"Hey, hey," Lovett grins at them as he comes out of the shower, skin red and a towel very precariously perched on his hips. "I thought we had a flight to catch."

“We’re fine,” Tommy says dismissively, kissing Dan again. “No thanks to you.”

Lovett shrugs. “You’re a better packer than me, anyway."

"Now that," Jon says, coming out of the bathroom completely naked and leaning over Dan's shoulder to see into his suitcase, "is true."

Tommy rolls his eyes. “That’s just an excuse to get me to pack for you.”

Lovett shrugs. "Sure, but, who would you rather have packing and unpacking our stuff? You or me?"

“We could both do it,” Tommy sighs.

"We could," Lovett agrees, standing close and reaching for the briefs and sweats Tommy had kept out for him, "but that's no fun."

Tommy rolls his eyes. “You’re the worst.”

Lovett drops his towel and steps into his briefs. "Fifteen minutes ago you love me, now I'm chopped liver."

Tommy squeezes his wrist. “Chopped liver that I love.”

Lovett's smile softens and he leans in for a kiss. "I can handle that."

Tommy grins, “Good. Now we have to get going.”

Lovett sighs and reaches for his sneakers. Jon yelps and digs for a pair of pants.

Dan smirks as Jon rifles through his bag. “You could go without.”

Lovett raises an eyebrow. "I second that idea."

Jon flushes all the way down. “I don’t know how TSA would feel about that.”

"I bet we could convince them," Dan says, thoughtfully, as he cups Jon in his hand.

Jon groans, “not if we miss the flight, come _on._ ”

Dan sighs and steps back from the suitcase to let Jon dig through it.

Tommy wraps his arms around Dan from behind and whispers in his ear “we could always get him to lose the pants on the plane”

Dan grins. "That is a truly wonderful, devious plan."

Tommy smirks. “I have good ideas.”

Dan pulls him into a messy kiss.

"I thought we had a plane to catch," Jon grumbles.

Tommy pulls back. “Yeah, we do, let’s go.”

Jon eyes them warily, but zips up his bag and pulls it off the bed. Tommy grins at him and slides an arm around his waist to tow him out of the room.

Lovett glances around the room, triple checking everything, then takes Dan's hand. Dan squeezes it and tugs him in for a quick kiss. “Love you.”

Lovett nods, "Me too." He shivers. "I'm pretty glad to be getting out of here. If we never come to New Orleans again, it'll be too soon.”

Dan kisses his head. “But Jon did lose his shirt, at least.”

"He did,” Lovett laughs. “But, we can make that happen in WeHo, too."

Dan grins. “We should.”

Lovett laughs again and reaches for a kiss. "I'm so glad you're moving."

Dan grins at him. “Me too.”

"I need a partner in crime," Lovett lowers his voice conspiratorially, "these two go to bed at nine p.m. most nights."

Dan raises his eyebrows, “and you expect me to stay up later?”

Lovett shrugs. "With incentive, maybe."

Dan laughs. “Maybe.”

"Jon shirtless kinda incentive," Lovett offers as they get into the elevator.

Dan smirks, “that could work.”

Jon looks up. “What?”

"Nothing you need to know right now,” Lovett smirks at him.

Jon whines, “ _Dan_.”

Dan raises an innocent eyebrow. "Don't worry about it."

Jon pouts. “You’re both mean.”

Lovett shrugs. "Maybe, maybe not. You don't actually know."

"Not helping," Dan pinches his side.

Lovett smirks, unrepentant. “I don’t have to help.”

The elevator opens and Tommy pushes them all out. "What if we all just spent this car ride being quiet?"

Lovett pouts. “Tommy you don’t appreciate my dulcet tones?”

"If they were dulcet, maybe," Tommy laughs.

Lovett growls a little and Dan kisses his head. “Come on love.”

 

***

 

Dan slides the concierge a five dollar bill to call them a taxi as they step, blinking out into the sun.

“Where to?” The concierge asks, as he pockets it.

“The-” Dan pauses as, in front of him, Lovett freezes. “The airport,” he finishes, absently, and rushes to join them.

Fran’s waiting on the sidewalk, a tray of coffees in her slightly shaking hands. She’s smiling, soft and tentative, as they pull up to a stop in front of her.

“I love you,” Jon says, gratefully, as he immediately reaches for a coffee.

Fran’s smile settles and she laughs a little. “Well, Jon, I think you’re great, too.”

“Pretty sure he was talking to the coffee.” Lovett takes his and kisses her cheek. “Hi.”

She shifts the tray into one hand so she can wrap him in a tight, one-armed hug. “Hi sweetheart.”

“So, ahh-” Lovett steps back, digging his toe into the sidewalk and looking down at the crack. “Dad came to see us this morning.”

Fran nods, carefully blank. “Did he?”

Lovett shrugs. “It wasn’t awful.”

She smiles carefully. “Yeah?”

Dan looks from the hopeful set of her shoulders to the tight set of Lovett’s. “It wasn’t that great either.”

Tommy squeezes Dan’s elbow warningly.

“He said he’d try.” Lovett shrugs, bringing his head up to look at Dan. His eyes look tired and tentatively hopeful. “That’s a lot for him.”

Fran follows Lovett’s eyes and smiles softly. “I’m glad you’re looking out for him.”

Dan takes a deep, internal, breath and nods. It’s stilted. “I’m trying.”

She nods and her gaze lingers, then she pulls Lovett into a last hug. “I know you have a flight to catch, but, I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. And if the invitation is still open, I’d love to come see the new place? Once you’re all settled.”

Lovett sniffs against her chest. “Yeah mom, of course. Anytime.”

She kisses the top of his head. “Take care of your boys.”

He pulls back and grins, real and broad. “Always.”

She touches his temple, gently, like she’s trying to memorize the way he looks, right here, right now. Then she lets him go.

Their taxi pull up to the curb and Lovett waves, “see you soon Mom,” as he slides in.

Jon hugs her quickly and Dan kisses her cheek as she pulls Tommy in for a quick hug.

Lovett turns so he can watch her watching them from the curb, then he settles forward, resting against Jon and sipping his coffee. Dan rests his hand on Jon’s knee and thinks maybe, just maybe, things will be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are much appreciated! Come [find us](http://stainyourhands.tumblr.com/) [on Tumblr](http://everyonewillsee.tumblr.com/) to chat!


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